We consider a three-stage game in which symmetric firms decide whether to invest in a cost-reducing technology, then they have the possibility to merge (forming coalitions), and eventually, in the third stage, a Cournot oligopoly game is played by the resulting firms (coalitions). We show that,...

The regulation of monopolistic firms has been widely investigated in the economic literature. Particular emphasis has been placed on the relationship between the regulated monopolist and the regulator. The present work deals with problems that may arise from the presence of several regulators....

The investment of a regulated firm affects the service/good provided on many dimensions. Should an integrated regulator take care of them all? Or is it better to have separate regulators responsible for them? We analyze the effect of the separation of regulatory powers on the regulated...

In order to provide local public goods, municipalities can cooperate and exploit economies of scale and scope. We present an analytical model of the costs and benefits of two such forms of cooperation: Consortia and Unions. We find that the efficiency of these two forms of cooperation depends on...

<i> Problemi di cooperazione fra agenzie di regolamentazione: il caso del settore idrico) - ABSTRACT: The regulation of natural monopolies has been widely investigated in economic literature. Particular emphasis has been placed on the relationship between the regulated firm and the regulator. The...</i>

In this paper we conduct an empirical investigation of the determinants of airline alliances. The results of the analysis show that well-established airlines with large passenger volume are more likely to participate in an alliance, and are essential for its sustainability. In line with these...

We consider a model with three players in which one of them has the possibility to make a relationship-specific investment which produces an innovation. The innovation affects only the payoff of the other two players - hence, a cooperative innovation. We show that, in some cases, the presence of...

A well-established result of the theory of antitrust policy is that it might be optimal to tolerate some degree of collusion among firms if the Authority in charge is constrained by limited resources and imperfect information. However, few doubts are cast on the common opinion by which stricter...

CESEE countries lag in terms of infrastructure compared to the EU15, and deficient infrastructure is often cited as a constraint to growth and convergence. Investing in infrastructure is therefore an important long-standing policy issue for the region. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic,...