Program and lecture presentations
All lectures include 20 min of discussion and Q&A
9:00 – 10:30 While conglomerate mergers have long been the object of divided enforcement policies – and even disappeared from US merger guidelines since 1982 – the digital economy has recently triggered a revived general interest around the world. The lecture will revisit the traditional pro- and anticompetitive effects and build on recent research to shed new light on the analysis of such mergers and their impact on competition and consumers. Particular attention will be devoted to consumption synergies and bundling practices, which may be a source of efficiencies but also create market power. Discussant: Maurice De Valois Turk, Partner, Oxera
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10:30 - 10:45 Break
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10:45 – 12:15 Competition authorities in several jurisdictions have expressed concerns over the impact of horizontal mergers on innovation. A prominent illustration of this is the European Commission's use of an innovation theory of harm in its assessment of the merger between Dow and Dupont. What are the various effects of horizontal mergers on firms’ incentives to invest in R&D? What are the key economic variables that competition authorities should examine to determine the likely impact of a given merger on innovation? In this lecture, we rely on recent research to shed light on these questions. Discussant: Cristina Caffarra, Senior Consultant - European Competition, Charles River Associates |
12:15 – 14:00 Lunch break
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14:00 - 15:30 In many industries products differ substantially in terms of quality, and different firms may supply different products. How do mergers in such industries affect the mix of products that are supplied? What does post-merger product-line repositioning tell us about the likely welfare effects of a merger? How should an antitrust authority screen mergers? This lecture uses recent research to shed some light on these and related questions. Discussant: Frédérique Palomino, Senior Vice President, Compass Lexecon
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15:30 – 15:45 Break
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15:45 – 17:15
Christian Ahlborn, Global Head of Competition, Linklaters
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