Digital platforms already dominate the top 10 of the world's most valuable firms. The specific characteristics of their business model, such as quick growth and market power soon after market entry, have provoked public discourse. This paper analyzes digital platforms' business models, the...

Digital platforms already dominate the top 10 of the world's most valuable firms. The specific characteristics of their business model, such as quick growth and market power soon after market entry, have provoked public discourse. This paper analyzes digital platforms' business models, the...

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...

The direct evolutionary approach according to Leininger (2003) states that players in a two player Tullock rent-seeking contest within a finite population behave "as if" they were relative payoff maximizers. Accordingly contest expenditures are higher than in Nash equilibrium. The indirect...

Data becomes a more and more important factor in the economy. To fully develop the economic potential of the data economy, antitrust regulation has to prevent the abuse of market power while sustaining the benefits of cooperation. This paper presents the pillars of European antitrust regulation...

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...