ABOUT US

The Centre for Competition Economics aims to enhance collaboration between academic and professional economists working in the area of competition policy. It serves as a platform for a reciprocal exchange of economic insights on critical issues in the field. Academic economists offer analysis grounded in recent research, while professional economists contribute perspectives based on practical market experience. This dialogue enriches policy discussions and supports informed decision-making in competition policy implementation.

To facilitate this exchange, the Centre hosts regular online seminars open to a broad audience. Each panel includes both academic and professional economists—such as those from consultancies or competition authorities—who share expertise on specific topics. The discussion focuses on extracting policy-relevant conclusions regarding the competitive impact of various business practices. These findings inform both academic work and policy analysis by clarifying the conditions under which certain practices may be considered pro- or anticompetitive.

Each year, the Centre also three awards for the best research paper in industrial organization written by young researchers. The selection emphasizes originality, methodological rigour, and relevance to competition policy. A one-day annual conference is organized around the three award winners who are invited to present their paper.

Although funded by RBB, the Centre operates with full independence. Its Board comprises seven members: Director Claire Chambolle, Fellows Germain Gaudin, Markus Reisinger and Otto Toivanen, and two RBB representatives—Benoît Durand, and Adrian Majumdar.

TOPICS

Mergers
Collusion
Vertical Restraints
Innovation
Industrial Policy
State Aid
PHD Award

Interest in industrial policy goes in cycles and is again at a high level. There is an ongoing discussion within the EU, for example, of whether the EU should support and foster “EU champions” to close the technological gap with the US. Another important driving force is the understandable need to combat climate and environmental change. These challenges call for centralized policies and raise questions such as whether the risk of so-called carbon leakage is real, and how that would affect the competitiveness of those nations implementing stricter environmental policies. At least the following are questions of topical importance and interest:

  • Should national champions be supported and if so, how to choose them?
  • How to create / maintain a level playing field while combating climate and environmental change?
  • What levels of industrial policy should be local, what supranational?
  • How to combine industrial policies with other policies such as employment and regional policies?
  • What is the interplay between regulation and competition?