In many territories (including the US and the EU), prospective mergers need to be considered in advance by competition authorities. In this video, VOLKER NOCKE analyzes some of the factors that those authorities weigh up when coming to their decisions. Focusing on mergers’ unilateral effects (competitive effects in the absence of collusion among firms) and employing both theoretical and empirical methods, the research highlights several issues. Among the most striking is that substantial synergies are required for consumers not to be harmed, even in mergers between smaller firms. Nocke’s work provides important food for thought, not only for academics, but also for competition authorities and antitrust practitioners in both Germany and abroad.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101122
Institution
University of Mannheim (Universität Mannheim)
For generations, the University of Mannheim has been preparing students to take on leadership roles in business, academia, and society. One of the university’s strengths in this task is its profile, which is characterized by the economic and social sciences. It is in these fields that the University of Mannheim has repeatedly been ranked as one of the top 20 European research institutions. Key focuses of Mannheim researchers include decision-making processes and elections, governance, regulation, competition and innovation, migration and multilingualism, and the culture of change. The campus surrounding Mannheim’s baroque palace is a place where bright minds from across the globe come together to learn, discuss, research, and prepare to make their mark on the world.
Show more
Original publication
Concentration screens for horizontal mergers
Published in 2020Beyond
A Ground-breaking Scientific Revolution
An Alarming Challenge for Society
If I Had a Second Life
A Personal Reading Recommendation