Sharing goods, services or knowledge is at the center of the so-called Sharing Economy. Businesses are usually based on online platforms that match demand and supply which is in many cases, but not always provided by individuals. Sharing Economy companies typically compete with traditional...

While the sharing economy is generally perceived to be very innovative, it has hardly been analyzed what defines this innovativeness. The main aspect for the sharing economy as a whole is the peer-to-peer (P2P) organization of its businesses. This allows sharing platforms to enter markets more...

Sharing goods, services or knowledge is at the center of the so-called Sharing Economy. Businesses are usually based on online platforms that match demand and supply which is in many cases, but not always provided by individuals. Sharing Economy companies typically compete with traditional...

Online platforms play an increasingly important role in the European business landscape. Guided by questions from the European Commission's consultation on this topic, the paper aims to provide insight into the characteristics of online platforms and the resulting regulatory challenges. Issues...

Die Ankündigung des Social-Media-Giganten Facebook, eine neue »Weltwährung« mit dem Blockchain-basierten Zahlungssystem Libra einführen zu wollen, löste international kontroverse Diskussionen über Vor- und Nachteile von Kryptowährungen aus. Die Reaktionen reichten von Begeisterung über...

A growing, but still small number of companies in Germany are supplying products and services based on the blockchain technology. Most of these are start-up companies and are headquartered in Berlin. Although a lot of them are focused on providing financial services, an increasing number of...

Blockchain companies have sprung up all over Europe, at the forefront: Malta and Estonia. Compared to the sizes of their workforce, both countries have an outstanding number of blockchain companies and can easily compete with larger countries like Germany or France. The reason for this is a...

Many Asian start-up companies have specialized in blockchain technology. In particular, Hong Kong, Israel and Singapore have the highest blockchain company density in Asia. The determinants for a flourishing blockchain ecosystem are a business-friendly environment for start-ups and the...

China is making great strides in regulating digitization. Some aspects are similar to European approaches, but Chinese laws on data security and protection go much further. This may result in a threat to European business models.

Structural change is both a challenge and an opportunity for countries and companies. However, there is no silver bullet in terms of superior economic models. Instead, different economic models can deal with structural change in a successful way. Both economies with a focus on services and those...