Research

Research projects

• ERC Starting Grant: Digital platforms - Pricing, variety and quality provision

  Digital platforms: Pricing, variety and quality provision

  
  
  Funding type: European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant
  
  Funding period:  2020-2025, the new beneficiary is the European University Institute (EUI) as of September 2023
  
  Research team: Özlem Bedre-Defolie (ESMT Berlin), Willy Lefez (ESMT Berlin), Atara Oliver (former ESMT Berlin)

  
  
  Digital platforms, such as Amazon, Alibaba, Google, have become important global players. Their practices have led to significant anti-trust and regulatory scrutiny, and interventions. The existing theoretical models are not suited for the analysis of most of digital platforms as they fail to capture their important aspects and dynamics. This project’s first goal is to develop tractable and applicable models of markets with digital platforms capturing their unique features. The second goal is to investigate the implications of digital platforms’ business practices on prices, variety and quality provision to buyers, on small rivals, and on potential platform entry. The findings of this project will highlight potential distortions in these multi-billion markets and ultimately suggest effective policy recommendations for competition policy in digital markets, which can greatly improve consumer welfare in the EU.

  More detailed information can be found on the official project website.

• European Union H2020: EQUAL4EUROPE - Gender equality standards for AHMSSBL institutions throughout Europe

  EQUAL4EUROPE: Gender equality standards for AHMSSBL institutions throughout Europe

  Funding type: EU Horizon 2020 Framework Program​​​, Coordination and Support Action ​​​
  
  Funding period: 2020-2023
  
  Research team: Monica Perez (former ESMT Berlin), Friederike Kreßner (former ESMT Berlin), Amelie Eckersley (former ESMT Berlin)

  Cooperating institutions and partners: ESADE (coordinator), Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Comenius University Bratislava, IEDC Bled School of Management, ESMT Berlin, INSEAD, EFMD, PNO Consultants.

  
  
  The EQUAL4EUROPE project, comprising eight research institutions and accreditation organizations, aims at removing barriers to the recruitment, retention, and career progression of female researchers. Within the four-year project, ESMT will focus on the identification and evaluation of gender issues.

  Women in the EU still account for only 33 percent of overall and 24 percent of top-level (grade A) researchers according to EU statistics. In order to bring about sustainable cultural and institutional change, the research institutions will develop and implement evidence-based gender equality plans as well as establish best practices and recommendations for others. In addition, the accreditation organizations plan to include the project results into their international standards.

  More detailed information can be found on the official project website.