Stefan Thomas

Stefan Thomas is a Professor at the Law Faculty of Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany, holding the Chair in Private Law, Commercial Law, Competition and Insurance Law since 2009. He serves as Director of both the CZS Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Law and the Tübingen Research Institute on the Determinants of Economic Activity (TRIDEA). His academic career includes being a fully qualified German lawyer with a Dr. iur. summa cum laude from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (2004), followed by work as an attorney at an international law firm in Düsseldorf (2004-2006) before transitioning to academia.

Thomas's research focuses on the intersection of competition law with emerging technological and societal challenges, particularly examining how competition serves as a design principle for market economies that align with societal values. His work explores antitrust law in the context of artificial intelligence, sustainability considerations, platform economics, and the evolving consumer welfare standard. He has developed a distinctive perspective on how competition law must balance its power to foster growth with recognition of its limitations in addressing all societal problems.

His research demonstrates a clear trajectory from traditional competition law topics toward the integration of sustainability considerations, digital market challenges, and the philosophical foundations of competition policy. Thomas frequently collaborates with economist Roman Inderst, producing influential work on sustainability in competition law, algorithmic pricing, and the welfare implications of antitrust enforcement. His publications span leading journals in competition law, economics, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Among his notable recognitions are the 2021 Antitrust Writing Awards for his work on merger control and the 2005 Prize of the Peregrinus Stiftung for his dissertation on antitrust successor-liability. Thomas is actively engaged in shaping competition policy discourse through his roles as co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Wettbewerbsrecht (ZWeR) and other academic journals, as well as through his membership in the Academic Society for Competition Law (ASCOLA) and other professional organizations.

His current work shows increasing focus on the integration of sustainability goals within competition law frameworks, the challenges posed by algorithmic pricing and AI to traditional competition concepts, and the philosophical underpinnings of competition as a societal value. Thomas maintains an active scholarly presence through publications, conference participation, and engagement with policy debates in European competition law.