The centre brings together a range of researchers from Strathclyde Law School and welcomes experts from other disciplines.

Professor Douglas Brodie, dean of HASS Faculty welcomed a range of practitioners, academics, policymakers business community and students to the event.

Professor Barry Rodger, director of SCALES, outlined how timely it was to establish a centre in Scotland with a number of fellow law school academics with research interests in competition law, and detailed plans with colleagues Dr Oles Andriychuk, Dr Jing Wang, Mel Kenny and Dr Angela Daly to collaborate with stakeholders, attract research funding and PG students in the area.

Sheila Scobie, head of nations at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Edinburgh highlighted the increasing size and strength of the CMA in Edinburgh, and John Grady, partner at Shepherd and Wedderburn, sponsors of the event, expressed his support for the initiative, and both welcomed the opportunity to work in tandem with the centre.

The main part of the evening was dedicated to two keynote speakers related to the research themes of the Centre. Dr Or Brook, of Leeds University, discussed the law and politics of empirical study of EU competition law, providing insights to her article 101 research.

Professor Richard Whish meanwhile elaborated on the theme of competition law in Scotland. More events and seminars will take place over this first year of the centre.