The 2017 area conference on the Economics of Digitization is the inaugural conference of the new area of the CESifo Network. The new area will be led by Professor Stephen P. Ryan of Washington University in St.Louis and Professor Ryan will be the scientific organiser of the conference.  The purpose of the conference is to bring together researchers from a broad range of economic disciplines to present and discuss ongoing research leveraging data sets, made possible through the digitization of economic activity.  The conference will have a focus on work at the intersection of digitization with public policy.