The Sixth Empirical Investigations in Services Trade conference will take place on 14 and 15 October 2026 in Paris, France, hosted by ESSEC Business School and the OECD.
The focus of the conference is the economic and international political economy analysis of trade and investment in services. It will have an empirical component and relate to any aspect of international trade and investment in services, including, among others:
· services trade, structural transformation and economic development; services tradability, digitalisation and technology;
· services trade and global imbalances;
· labor market effects of internationalization of services activities;
· services trade and environmental sustainability;
· patterns and determinants of comparative advantage in services trade;
· determinants and effects of services trade policy.
Presentations will feature papers with focus on policy dimensions, in particular studies of plurilateral agreements and international initiatives designed to facilitate trade in services, including trade and investment agreements, digital partnership agreements, mutual recognition arrangements and international regulatory cooperation.
Award:
A prize, sponsored by the National Board of Trade Sweden, will be awarded for best conference paper written by an early-stage researcher.
Conference Format:
The venues for the conference are the OECD headquarters and one of the ESSEC campuses (either Paris district La Defence or in Cergy-Pontoise), with hybrid option potentially available. The programme will include 7-10 papers, with one hour per paper devoted to presentation, discussant remarks, and open discussion.
Call for Papers is now closed. Applicants will be notified by 15 July.