ITLL Innovation and Technology Law Lab Summer School at the University of Padova: Digital Innovation, Metaverse, and the Law
This summer, I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the 3rd edition of the ITLL Innovation and Technology Law Lab Summer School held at the University of Padova, located in this beautiful area of northern Italy. The theme for this year was "Digital Innovation, Metaverse, and the Law". It was an enlightening experience, merging the law with state-of-the-art technology.
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| Palazzo Bo Univeristy of Padova |
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| Interior of Palazzo Bo |
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| Interior of Palazzo Bo |
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| Interior of Palazzo Bo |
Palazzo Bo, University of Padova
Our journey started at one of the oldest and most beautifully preserved university locations I have visited, the historical Palazzo Bo. It is one of the oldest universities in the world, and the second oldest in Italy, the University of Padua, has its historic seat in the fifteenth-century Palazzo del Bo in Padua, Italy.
In 1222, rebellious scholars from Bologna who wanted freedom of speech and culture founded the University of Padua. It soon became a friendly haven for academics and lecturers from throughout Europe. Among them were some of the most influential and controversial intellectuals in Italy, including Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Casanova, and Eleonora Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman in history to be awarded a doctorate in philosophy.
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| Professor Thibault Schrepel |
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| Professor Claudia Sandei |
Welcome, Competition Law, and the Metaverse
The programme kicked off with a warm welcome from Professor Claudia Sandei, director of the ITLL and law professor at the University of Padova, setting the stage for an engaging coming week. Dr Joseph Lee from the University of Manchester provided a comprehensive lecture on the promises and challenges of decentralized virtuality, focusing on the metaverse and its legal implications. The session was followed by Professor Thibault Schrepel from the Stanford Codex Center and the Faculty of Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Prof. Thibault delivered a great interactive lecture focused on competition law and the metaverse. If you are interested in this topic you can access the paper here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4297960
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| Part of the professorship cohort at the Caffè Pedrocchi welcome reception |
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| Caffè Pedrocchi night scene |
The Historic Caffè Pedrocchi
The first evening concluded with a delightful opening cocktail at the historic Caffè Pedrocchi, where we had the chance to network with fellow attendees and speakers.
Caffè Pedrocchi, located at Via VIII Febbraio, 15, 35122 Padova, Italy, is a historic cafe known for being:
- The oldest and most famous cafe in Padua.
- A central landmark for almost 200 years.
- A popular gathering spot for students, artists, and intellectuals.
Located in the heart of Padua (Padova) Italy, the Pedrocchi Café was established in the 18th century. Giuseppe Jappelli, the architect, furnished the rooms in a variety of styles, arranging them in an eclectic ensemble that gives them architectural prominence. The café has gained historical notoriety for its part in the uprisings against the Habsburg monarchy in 1848 and for drawing artists over the past century, including the Italian writer Dario Fo and the French author Stendhal. The cafe was known as "the cafe without doors" because it used to be open 24/7, today it serves coffee and cocktails, savoury dishes & desserts.
Property and Data in the Metaverse
We started the next day with a session by Dr Joseph Lee on the relationship between property and data in the metaverse. Professor Thibault Schrepel returned to discuss blockchain, metaverse, and competition law, providing a deeper understanding of the regulatory landscape using interactive examples. Prof. Andrea Minto from the Department of Economics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice wrapped up the morning with a talk on NFTs and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations in the EU.
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| Venice trip at the summer school |
Venice Trip
The highlight of the day was a field trip to Venice, where participants and speakers enjoyed a guided tour through this historical city.
Villa Parco Bolasco in Castelfranco Veneto
We also had the opportunity to attend lectures at the beautiful Villa Bolasco in Castelfranco Veneto. Situated along Borgo Treviso in the centre of Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso), Villa Revedin Bolasco is an ensemble made up of a historic garden and a villa from the middle of the nineteenth century. Renata Mazza Bolasco, the final owner, gave the ensemble to the University of Padua, which finished restoring the garden and a portion of the Villa in 2015. Today, the garden's more than eight hectares of vegetation and waterways still follow its nineteenth-century design. Its expansive area, which is supplied by the waters of the Avenale stream, is home to over a thousand trees and a diverse array of wildlife, as well as a lake and two islands.
On this day, Syren Johnstone, Principal Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong shared insights on the opportunities and problems associated with decentralized technologies. Tommaso Faelli discussed digital identity and privacy in the metaverse, a topic of increasing importance in the virtual world. We enjoyed a buffet lunch and a guided tour of the garden at Villa Bolasco.
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| Syren Johnstone University of Hong Kong |
The final day of the summer school focused on the financial aspects of the metaverse. Pietro Acerbi from Accenture, provided practical insights on building successful metaverse projects, sharing his industry expertise. Syren Johnstone concluded with a great session on the evolution of money, digital currencies, and the trust dynamics in the metaverse.
The week culminated with a special gala dinner serving delicious courses of seafood meals, celebrating the meeting of new friends, and sharing our common experiences with the topics discussed.
Gala Dinner
Beautiful Padova Memories
For all of us, passionate about the law and legal technologies, the 3rd edition of the ITLL Summer School at the University of Padova was an enjoyable journey through the fast-evolving world of digital innovation and the law. I want to extend special thanks to Professor Claudia Sandei and Sara Michielin for the organisation of the event and for being the most welcoming hosts!
I left with a deeper understanding of the topics covered and the legal frameworks that are indeed shaping our digital future. But most importantly I left with beautiful memories in my heart of this lovely city and university department in northern Italy and some new friendships from this metaverse experience. If you haven't been to Padova please do so :) it is definitely a beautiful place to visit with warm people, delicious food, and historical locations that will captivate your attention.
