In other words, the workshop is intended as a friendly forum for CEFAU members to present and discuss new research ideas, preliminary results, or more advanced projects.

Programme - TBA

These are all business economics topics that have, to varying degrees, dominated public debate in Denmark over the past year, with researchers and analysts from CEFAU contributing to the discussion through research briefs, opinion pieces, and media appearances.

Led by economics professors Michael Svarer and Philipp Schröder, and supported by a donation from the Salling Foundations and Aarhus BSS, the centre was established in the autumn of 2025. The centre will now officially open with presentations and a panel debate on the current situation and framework conditions for the business community.

Programme

• Welcome by Philipp Schröder and Michael Svarer (Directors of CEFAU)
• Jørgen Vig Knudstorp (Nike, Starbucks): Why are Danish companies successful?
• Panel debate: Including geopolitical and trade policy uncertainty, AI in Danish companies, and modern industrial policy. Participants: Marianne Dahl (Telenor, Teito, DTU), Jens Bjerg Sørensen (Schouw & Co., Danfoss, the Salling Foundations), and Brian Bech Nielsen (Aarhus University). Moderator: Laura Hay Uggla
• Nina Smith (Aarhus University): How can Danish companies' access to qualified labour be strengthened?
• Michael Koch (CEFAU): How does AI affect Danish companies?
• Allan Sørensen (CEFAU): What characterises successful export companies?

The aim of the workshop is to provide PhD students, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors both from within CEFAU and the entire department  with a friendly forum to share their research (ideas, ongoing, and completed work) and receive constructive feedback. While especially non-tenured faculty is encouraged to present, everyone is welcome to attend the workshop.

Programme

Keynote speakers:

• Anna Salomons, Tilburg University
• Guy Michaels, London School of Economics

The aim of the workshop is to bring together researchers working on issues in automation and labor markets. Focus will be on scientific exchange, facilitating collaborative research and contacts among researchers, as well as offering junior researchers an opportunity to present their work and establish closer contacts among researchers based in Denmark and international researchers in the field.

Papers should be submitted electronically by 1 May 2025 to Malene Vindfeldt Skals (malska@econ.au.dk) in PDF format only; decisions will be made on 15 May. The only requirement in terms of topics is that papers concern automation and labor markets, broadly defined. Please also indicate whether you would accept to be a discussant. 

The core program of the workshop will run on both Thursday and Friday at the main campus of Aarhus University. We expect that participants stay during the whole core program. The organizers cover all conference costs, including a dinner at restaurant Syvni13 on 21 August and three nights stay from 20-23 August at hotel Scandic City Aarhus in Aarhus city centre.

• Call for Papers
• Program
• List of participants

For further information, please contact the organizing committee: Michael Koch (mkoch@econ.au.dk) or Daisuke Adachi (daisuke.adachi@econ.au.dk).

Keynote speakers:

• Costas Arkolakis (Yale University)
• Kalina Manova (University College London)

For further information, please look at the workshop website