Research Areas
The working group "Innovation and Structural Change" is dedicated to theory-led empirical research in four subject areas, which are worked on in teams. A large number of the projects in these four subject areas are financed by third-party funds and are carried out with cooperation partners in Germany and abroad. The promotion of young scientists in the form of PhDs and postdoctoral career paths plays an important role in all areas of our research.
Research area 1: Industrial Economics
At the chair, we study firms’ strategic behavior across different market environments and analyze how these decisions shape market structure and welfare. Our work combines microeconomic theory with modern empirical methods to address core questions related to market power, price discrimination, and collusive strategies. In addition, we employ computational tools such as text mining and web scraping to generate and process novel datasets, enabling us to examine markets with greater precision and timeliness.
A central objective of this research area is to derive policy‑relevant insights for competition policy, regulation, and industrial policy. Current projects investigate structural change, strategic pricing, strategy choice in infinitely repeated games, strategic behavior in contests, and the implications of digital business models for traditional industries.
This research area also includes a project on the regulation of prescription drugs in the pharmacy market, conducted in close cooperation with JLU Giessen. The project aims to empirically evaluate the mechanisms of fixed Rx prices and their effects on consumer behavior and health policy objectives. It is funded by Apothekerverband Westfalen‑Lippe e. V.
Research area 2: Innovation Economics
In this research area, we examine mechanisms that foster innovation and facilitate its diffusion while addressing underlying market failures. These mechanisms range from internal R&D processes to collaborations between academia and industry, as well as institutional frameworks such as patents and public funding programs. Empirical analyses draw on patent data and regional indicators to quantify, for example, the effectiveness of support measures, the role of networks in knowledge diffusion, and the adoption of new technologies.
Current theoretical work focuses on process and product innovation in oligopolistic markets. A central thematic focus is the development of hydrogen infrastructure. Empirically, ongoing research investigates the determinants of hydrogen innovation and production capacities. The results provide evidence‑based recommendations for innovation support, technology policy, and the design of research systems.
Research area 3: Energy and Environmental Economics
This research area analyzes how government interventions influence investment decisions in the context of the energy transition. We use both theoretical and empirical microeconomic approaches to evaluate the efficiency and distributional effects of policy instruments such as subsidies, R&D support, and demand‑side incentives. The goal is to offer decision makers practical guidance for designing climate, energy, and investment policies that achieve ecological objectives in an economically efficient manner.
The research group is part of the EU‑funded H2B:IMPACT project, which aims to deploy and consolidate a flagship hydrogen valley in the Federal State of Bremen. The project integrates five innovative testbeds across the mobility, construction, logistics, and industrial sectors. Building on a mature ecosystem, it will deploy 25.1 MW of new electrolyzer capacity and produce more than 3,600 tons of renewable hydrogen. The initiative is supported by a broad consortium of industrial partners, leading research institutions, innovative SMEs, and sector experts. Within this project, our group forecasts hydrogen demand and supply based on an analysis of the determinants of business success and market failure in this emerging sector.
Research area 4: Economic Policy
Our research in economic policy focuses on evaluating broad public policy measures. Key questions include the effects of fiscal stimuli, the role of market power in labor markets, and the interactions between national policies and international markets. The overarching aim is to assess policy options in terms of efficiency, distributional consequences, and sustainability, and to formulate practical, evidence‑based recommendations.