Research statement

My research is about the way our market economy is designed to yield outcomes that best reconcile with the societal convictions about how we want to live. Competition is the design principle that I am most interested in.

I am convinced that competition is an integral element of the democratic consensus about how to create growth to the benefit of the entire society. I am equally convinced that not all problems in a society can be solved by economic growth. Competition law therefore must be mindful of its power as well as its limitations.

The legal order must reflect the economic and societal determinants in which markets are embedded. It is, therefore, subject to constant change. I believe that the power of markets to cater to consumers hinges on the capability of the legal order to embrace such change. Technological decision-making and blockchain can impact on market outcomes. Consumption can cause negative externalities on the environment, which can have repercussions on consumers’ appreciation of sustainability. I look into the power that competition bestows on consumers to shape markets in such a transformative environment. I am equally interested in the duties and opportunities of the industry to induce change, and of the state to intervene if markets fail to deliver.

I am convinced that a reflective legal scholarship, which is willing to override traditional principles and which is open to insights from other disciplines, can make meaningful contributions to this field.