This paper focuses on industries that require intensive investment to compete and innovate well before demand materialises (or fails to do so). In these industries, the existence of exit barriers may cause firms to become “zombies” ex post and result in significant underinvestment ex ante....

The European private equity market (management buy-outs and buy-ins) has grown in prominence over recent years with CMBOR figures showing the numbers of deals conducted rising from 1212 in 1998 to 1436 by the end of 2007. One of the most important features of this market has been the growth in...