Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) invites submissions for a one-day workshop focused on empirical methods in competition policy and regulation. The event aims to bring together senior academics, doctoral students, researchers, and policymakers working on topics related to market regulation, competition policy, and empirical industrial organisation. The goal is to foster dialogue between academic research and policy application, and to build capacity in modern empirical tools for market analysis.
The event will open with a public lecture, “Empirical Methods in Competition and Regulation,” delivered by Professor Frank Verboven (KU Leuven), an internationally recognized expert in industrial organization. His lecture will offer an overview of key empirical techniques used in competition analysis, illustrated with policy-relevant applications.
The workshop will feature presentations of research papers, followed by comments from discussants and open-floor discussion. We encourage contributions from academic researchers, doctoral students, and representatives of regulatory agencies. The event also includes dedicated networking sessions to promote collaboration and strengthen connections between the academic and policy communities in Southern Africa.
Topics of Interest (include but are not limited to)
Estimating market power – Merger simulation – Entry and exit dynamics – Abuse of dominance – Cartels and collusion – Market definition – Price regulation – Regulation and monopoly – Digital Markets and Platforms – Auctions in regulated markets – Demand estimation – Regulation of Network Industries – State aid – Vertical relations and restraints
Keynote Speaker
Professor Frank Verboven is one of Europe’s leading economists in the fields of industrial organization, competition policy, and empirical methods in economics. He is a Professor of Economics at KU Leuven in Belgium, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London, and a Co-editor of the American Economic Review.
His research focuses on industrial organization, particularly the econometric analysis of market power, with applications to competition policy and regulation. He has studied a wide range of topics—including mergers, cartels, vertical restraints, and market entry—across various industries such as automobiles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, health care professions, and local services.
His work has been published in leading journals, including the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Journal: Micro, RAND Journal of Economics, Review of Economic Studies, and Review of Economics and Statistics, among others. He teaches courses in industrial organization, microeconomics, and empirical methods for competition policy.
Paper Submission and Registration
We welcome submissions of both research and policy papers that provide insights into issues related to competition and regulation. The deadline for paper submissions is 31 October 2025, and applicants are asked to submit an extended abstract (1–2 pages) or full paper. Successful applicants will be notified by 15 November 2025. Please click the ‘Submit’ button below to submit your research.
Should you wish to attend the workshop and not present your research, you can express your interest in attending by submitting the workshop registration form below. The deadline for this application is 30 November 2025 and non-presenters will be informed about workshop participation by December 15, 2025.
There is no registration fee. ERSA will cover accommodation costs for both local and international presenters of accepted papers, as well as local travel expenses for presenters based in South Africa. Participation is limited to a maximum of 30 attendees.
This event is being organised by Lukasz Grzybowski (University of Cape Town and ERSA) and should you have any queries, please email him here.
