The Institute for Business and Tax Law at the University of Innsbruck hosted the event. Dr Natalie Harsdorf-Borsch (LLM, Director General of the Federal Competition Authority (BWB)), was invited to speak on the topic of ‘Competition and current challenges’, and Prof Dr Podszun (Chair of Civil Law, German and European Competition Law at Heinrich Heine University) participated as a discussant.

Dr Harsdorf-Borsch began by explaining the role of competition law in strengthening the economy, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution of modern competition law in Austria, especially under the influence of EU law. She then focused on the responsibilities of the BWB and presented notable performance metrics of the authority, which was established in 2002. Dr Harsdorf-Borsch discussed the leniency program and the joint task force of the BWB and E-Control. In conclusion, she underscored the fundamental principle of competition law as the preservation of economic freedom.

Following Dr Harsdorf-Borsch's speech, Prof Podszun delivered an insightful talk on the historical origins of antitrust law and examined recent trends such as the ’hipster antitrust movement’ in the US. He also forecasted future developments in competition law, highlighting climate crisis and digitisation as the biggest challenges. Prof Podzun emphasised that antitrust law reflects the prevailing spirit of the times, ‘the Zeitgeist’, and encouraged authorities to address these challenges.

The seminar, organised by Prof Dr Susanne Augenhofer (LLM (Yale)), Prof Dr Alexander Schopper, and Prof Dr Julia Told, provided valuable insights into the BWB's operational framework and underlined the broader economic relevance of competition law.