The markets which form the competitive environments for companies can differ widely, varying, for instance, in the composition of supply and demand and in the institutional framework that flanks all business activities. In addition, markets are constantly changing – nowadays in particular because of the digitization of all areas of life.
Against this backdrop, the economists of the research unit Structural Change and Competition examine the strategic behavior of companies, the design of markets and the impact of government regulation on competition.
The aim of the research is to provide policy recommendations in order to foster efficient and welfare-enhancing competition and facilitate successful business creation and development.
The researchers particularly focus on the effects of digitization on competition. The increasing interconnectedness of people, machines and processes and the associated automation and intelligent self-organization of production (autonomy) implies many questions and challenges for industry, policy and society.
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Sections of the Research Unit
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The focus of this section is the interaction between companies and markets as well as the interaction among companies. The IW researchers examine the impact of the organization and regulation of markets on businesses and competition. Furthermore, they investigate issues concerning the market design and the regulation of new technologies, for example in the context of Industry 4.0. The Digital Single Market initiative of the EU is also carefully examined.
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The main interest of this research section is the development of companies. Companies are founded, they grow or shrink, and some eventually leave the market. Companies adapt to changing circumstances, but they also affect structural change themselves. A crucial issue treated in this research section is the establishment of an institutional framework that renders Germany an attractive place for business for companies from all over the world.
A Coronavirus Shock for the Retail Sector in German City Centres
Henry Goecke / Christian Rusche
The Corona pandemic and the measures taken to contain the virus have delivered an asymmetrical shock to German business. This asymmetry is exemplified by the effects on the retail trade, an import ant part of the nation’s economy.
Competition in the Digital Economy: An Analysis of Gatekeepers and Regulations
Jan Büchel / Christian Rusche
The Digital Age saw the rise of several rapidly growing digital platforms with substantial market shares. Europe is a large target market for these globally operating platforms, although the majority of the most successful platforms come from the USA or Asia.
Only four weeks before the planned date in June 2012, the opening of Berlin's major airport BER, which had already been postponed from fall 2011, was canceled. This was followed by years of announcements, ever new lists of construction deficiencies and further delays.
Differentiated Treatment of Business Users by Online Platforms
Vera Demary / Barbara Engels / Christian Rusche
Online platforms have gained importance in the past couple of years. They are present all over the world and in many sectors of the economy. Their main purpose is to facilitate transactions between various user groups. Hence, online platforms can be defined as online spaces in which users are brought together by a platform operator, in order to facilitate an interaction (the exchange of information, a commercial transaction, etc.).
Vera Demary / Barbara Engels / Christian Rusche IW
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