Research with Impact

Research in the School of Economics is organised into three clusters.  Within each cluster, research has many non-academic beneficiaries.

• The Industrial Economics cluster, with its close alignment with the ESRC Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) has traditionally been a primary centre of impact generation within the School. The CCP has continued, since its inception in 2004, to develop significant policy and practitioner impact. CCP members have ongoing advisory/membership links with competition agencies and regulatory bodies including the Competition Commission, the Office of Fair Trading, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the OECD, and the European Commission (EC). Other organisations that have consulted the CCP on its research include MONITOR (Department of Health), the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Treasury, Which?, Ofwat and Ofgem, amongst many others.

 

• The Applied and Financial Economics cluster brings together researchers in the School who are active in various economic disciplines. Some of the beneficiaries of the research conducted by this group, are: UK National Ecosystem Assessment, British Horse Racing Authority, British Medical Associations, Carbon Trust, Defra, European Commission Directorate-General for Research, Norwich City FC, Sainsbury's, Anglian Water and Archant.

 

• The Experimental Economics cluster's traditional strengths are in measurement of preferences and valuations. The cluster has provided tailored solutions to major domestic institutions such as UK Defra, the Department of Health, and the Department of Transport.

 

Particular studies that exemplify the School's research impact are:

Merger Remedies and Merger Control (Bruce Lyons)

This study has resulted in detailed recommendations for competition authorities. The impact of this research is evidenced in the revised guidelines used by the European Commission and (separately) the UK Competition Commission. For example, the revised guidelines pay more careful attention to the licensing terms which make merger remedies more effective and, consequently, increase the likelihood of a consumer-friendly market structure.

 

Public Evaluation of Methods used by the OFT (Steve Davies)

This study has influenced both the allocation of resources to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and across the different activities within it. It also fed into how OFT conducts its future interventions. It has since been influential among other competition authorities around the world.

 

 

Valuing Urban Green Space in Britain (Grischa Perino)

Findings from this study have helped to shape the policies on green infrastructure (Green Infrastructure Partnership), health (Green Areas Designation) and contributed to the strategic policy commitment to include natural capital into national accounts and to establish the Natural Capital Committee.