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

State aid questions came to the fore during the onset of the pandemic but had started to raise some challenges for competition analysis even before early 2020. Related to the renewed interest in industrial policy, the presence of State Owned Enterprises entering overseas markets, the winner-take-all dynamics in some markets, and the wide scope of some policy areas where externalities mean market solutions are inadequate – such as green transition – all present challenges related to state aid policy. Important questions are:

  • The General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) declares specific categories of state aid to be lawful. With so many exemptions (and more upcoming exemptions), is state aid control useful?
  • If so, how should categories of exemption be defined – must this be ad hoc or are there sufficiently simple principles?
  • Can European countries ever lead (or even secure supply) in new technology sectors where global markets only support one or two players with current state aid policy?