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When Uber Is a ‘Predator’ and LinkedIn a ‘Species’: the 5M Framework Offers a New ‘Natural’ Lens for Antitrust Oversight

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The article forms part of the BRICS Centre’s research track on the antitrust challenges created by digitalisation

MOSCOW, Russia, June 19, 2025/APO Group/ –The BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre (www.BRICSCompetition.org), in collaboration with mathematicians, programmers, ecologists and biologists from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, Vienna), has developed a systemic approach to deepen the understanding of how digital ecosystems function. The research group proposes applying mathematical models and biological theories from the natural sciences to describe processes in the digital economy. Their comprehensive approach to analysing and regulating ecosystems is built on analogies between natural and digital ecosystems—both are complex adaptive systems that share structural and functional characteristics. The results have been published in the interdisciplinary journal npj Complexity in the open-access article “An ecological perspective to master the complexities of the digital economy” (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) (www.nature.com) and in the Springer Nature Research Communities “Behind the Paper” post “Taming the Digital Giants: Why Regulators Need an Ecological Lens on Platform Power” (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) (www.communities.springernature.com).

The scientists formulated this idea as the 5M System (5M Framework), which describes the digital realm in ecological terms and draws analogies between natural and digital phenomena across five levels: Micro (“genes”) — elements of technology, knowledge, and business strategy (including user behaviour data); Meso (“species”) — products; Macro (“ecosystems”) — digital platform ecosystems; Mega (“biomes”) — wider societies hosting platform ecosystems; Meta — interactions among the four previous levels occur here.

For example, optimal foraging theory can explain why Uber avoids sparsely populated areas:  like an animal that leaves a food-poor patch because the energy gained per unit of search time is too low, Uber steers clear of rural zones where ride requests are infrequent, driver utilisation drops, and the “return” on each kilometre driven fails to justify the effort. The flexibility of digital-product boundaries is akin to the blurred definition of biological species, within which finer subspecies are often distinguished: LinkedIn can be viewed either as a Microsoft service or as a set of related products—job marketplace, professional social network, advertising platform, and so on.

The published article is expected to be the first in a series of interdisciplinary publications devoted to new antitrust approaches for regulating the digital environment

Elena Rovenkaya, the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Program Director and Principal Research Scholar:

“Digital ecosystems are an entirely new economic object, fundamentally different from the standard economic agents regulators are used to dealing with. The analogy we propose between natural and digital ecosystems will allow antitrust authorities to look at digital ecosystems from a new angle and obtain intuitive explanations for business strategies that often seem complex. Moreover, applying well-established mathematical and ecological approaches may be more effective than designing new methods from scratch.”

Aleksey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre:

“The published article is expected to be the first in a series of interdisciplinary publications devoted to new antitrust approaches for regulating the digital environment. In the AI sector and adjacent fields, the number of partnerships and investment agreements resembling mergers is growing, yet companies often evade antitrust scrutiny by sidestepping formal filing thresholds. A systemic-analysis response—particularly mathematical modelling and the systems-mapping method that the BRICS Centre is developing with partners—can depict a complex phenomenon in a model of all its cause-and-effect links. This will significantly accelerate research and make antitrust analysis more precise.”

In the future, the researchers also plan to create a digital tool using AI for BRICS antitrust coordination — the “Merger Radar.” This system will detect economic-concentration deals and shape preliminary positions on such transactions.

The article forms part of the BRICS Centre’s research track on the antitrust challenges created by digitalisation. The project was launched in 2018 to provide expert and methodological support to antitrust agencies in the BRICS Working Group for Research on Competition Issues in Digital Markets; in 2019 the Centre first highlighted the threats posed by digital platforms and the need for special oversight; from 2020 the Working Group shifted its focus to ecosystem regulation — today the most advanced debate in antitrust law. At the 7th BRICS Competition Conference (China, 2021) the Centre publicly presented the “eco-antitrust” concept; in 2022, in Brazil, it organised the first BRICS Digital Competition Forum, which has since been held annually. At the latest forum, in autumn 2024, representatives of Brazil’s antitrust authority CADE announced the drafting of a new bill to regulate ecosystems, which is now before the Brazilian parliament. The experts are currently analysing the impact of AI on competition and preparing a new report.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre

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Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 

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Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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