This edited volume includes original essays by prominent researchers and practitioners in the field of postal and delivery economics, originally presented at the 31st Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics held in Gdansk, Poland, May 24-26, 2023. The book primarily examines the impact of digital platforms on the postal and delivery sectors, exploring the intricate regulatory challenges and competitive dynamics associated with this digital transformation. Other important topics include the regulation of parcels and their environmental footprint, in light of the innovations affecting the so-called last mile, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the postal sector, on both the global and local levels. Chapters also address postal costs, the funding of Universal Service Obligation (USO), and the related role of Universal Service Providers, especially in providing social services and facilitating digital inclusion. Finally, the impact of innovative technologies, such as AI, in the postal sector is discussed. This book is useful for graduate students and professors interested in postal and regulatory economics as well as postal administrations, consulting firms, and federal government departments.

Autorentext

Pier Luigi Parcu is part-time Professor at the European University Institute (Italy) and Director of the Centre for a Digital Society and of the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom. Previously, he worked as Director of Investigation at the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), Chief Economist at the Italian Security and Exchange Commission (CONSOB), Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and CEO of the Italian System Operator. His research addresses the democratic and economic challenges associated with digital platforms, as part of his broader interest in innovation dynamics in the digital economy and in emerging technologies. He is frequently invited as expert by European and international institutions and has extensively published books and articles in the fields of telecommunications, postal & delivery sectors, antitrust, and media.

Victor Glass is Professor of Professional Practice in the Finance and Economics Department at Rutgers Business School (US). He is also Director of the Center for Research in Regulated Industries (CRRI). For almost thirty years, he was responsible for forecasting demand and setting access rates for more than 1,100 telephone companies and was heavily involved in regulatory reform. He has published studies on market and regulatory issues that have appeared in academic journals and trade magazines.

Timothy J. Brennan is Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US). He has published over 135 articles and book chapters, principally on antitrust and regulatory economics, including the electricity, telecommunications, postal, oil pipeline, and other infrastructure sectors. His current research focuses on competition policy, particularly vertical integration and structuring abuse of dominance cases, and on regulatory pricing and methods. He also has a strong interest in the nexus between economics and philosophy, which he has applied to questions such as the ethical underpinnings of climate policy.