Igor Letina
@igorletina.bsky.social
Associate professor, Uni Bern | Vice President, Swiss Competition Commission.
Competition policy/IO, innovation economics, contest design.
igorletina.com
Competition policy/IO, innovation economics, contest design.
igorletina.com
Very happy to see two of my papers cited in the recent CMA report on "Investment and competition over the business lifecycle."
The report provides an excellent overview of the literature. Thanks to @jschneebacher.bsky.social and coauthors for preparing it!
The report provides an excellent overview of the literature. Thanks to @jschneebacher.bsky.social and coauthors for preparing it!
September 20, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Very happy to see two of my papers cited in the recent CMA report on "Investment and competition over the business lifecycle."
The report provides an excellent overview of the literature. Thanks to @jschneebacher.bsky.social and coauthors for preparing it!
The report provides an excellent overview of the literature. Thanks to @jschneebacher.bsky.social and coauthors for preparing it!
A thread on "reverse acquihires" in the AI space.
Reverse acquihires are characterized by two things: 1) the buyer takes over the most important/talented employees and 2) the buyer pays a hefty sum to the target firm via a side deal.
They are becoming common in the AI space:
Reverse acquihires are characterized by two things: 1) the buyer takes over the most important/talented employees and 2) the buyer pays a hefty sum to the target firm via a side deal.
They are becoming common in the AI space:
August 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
A thread on "reverse acquihires" in the AI space.
Reverse acquihires are characterized by two things: 1) the buyer takes over the most important/talented employees and 2) the buyer pays a hefty sum to the target firm via a side deal.
They are becoming common in the AI space:
Reverse acquihires are characterized by two things: 1) the buyer takes over the most important/talented employees and 2) the buyer pays a hefty sum to the target firm via a side deal.
They are becoming common in the AI space:
Gems you find while reading about past inducement prizes/innovation contests: in 1936, Polish mathematician Stanisław Mazur offered a live goose to whoever solved one mathematical problem involving Banach spaces. 37 years later, Swedish mathematician Per Enflo got the goose.
July 22, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Gems you find while reading about past inducement prizes/innovation contests: in 1936, Polish mathematician Stanisław Mazur offered a live goose to whoever solved one mathematical problem involving Banach spaces. 37 years later, Swedish mathematician Per Enflo got the goose.
One of the best conferences for those working on contests is going to Australia this year!
Submission deadline is June 1, 2025 and more info can be found here: www.rmit.edu.au/about/school...
Submission deadline is June 1, 2025 and more info can be found here: www.rmit.edu.au/about/school...
March 19, 2025 at 12:58 PM
One of the best conferences for those working on contests is going to Australia this year!
Submission deadline is June 1, 2025 and more info can be found here: www.rmit.edu.au/about/school...
Submission deadline is June 1, 2025 and more info can be found here: www.rmit.edu.au/about/school...
Hey, Jon Stewart, uncalled-for!
January 21, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Hey, Jon Stewart, uncalled-for!
So it seems that my colleague Jean-Michel Benkert is too modest to mention it himself, but I think it is a great thing that he has accepted to be an arXiv moderator for economics. Thanks for providing the public good, @jmbenkert.bsky.social!
January 13, 2025 at 8:08 PM
So it seems that my colleague Jean-Michel Benkert is too modest to mention it himself, but I think it is a great thing that he has accepted to be an arXiv moderator for economics. Thanks for providing the public good, @jmbenkert.bsky.social!
Planning your 2025 economics conference schedule? I've updated my list of general interest, IO, and theory conferences: www.igorletina.com/conferences....
New this year: you can generate a calendar file 📅 to easily track dates and submission deadlines of selected conferences.
#econsky
New this year: you can generate a calendar file 📅 to easily track dates and submission deadlines of selected conferences.
#econsky
January 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Planning your 2025 economics conference schedule? I've updated my list of general interest, IO, and theory conferences: www.igorletina.com/conferences....
New this year: you can generate a calendar file 📅 to easily track dates and submission deadlines of selected conferences.
#econsky
New this year: you can generate a calendar file 📅 to easily track dates and submission deadlines of selected conferences.
#econsky
So, I'm pretty sure this means that Sauron is back.
December 21, 2024 at 5:59 PM
So, I'm pretty sure this means that Sauron is back.
My first year as a Vice President of the Swiss Competition Commission is ending, and I thought this was a good opportunity to look back on the decisions that I've spent the most time thinking about. Four stand out:
December 20, 2024 at 2:53 PM
My first year as a Vice President of the Swiss Competition Commission is ending, and I thought this was a good opportunity to look back on the decisions that I've spent the most time thinking about. Four stand out:
1/ New (short!) paper with @jmbenkert.bsky.social.
The question that we are interested in is this: when should you stop searching for an innovation?
Surprisingly (to us) the answer in our model is: never.
Link to the paper: arxiv.org/abs/2412.03227
The question that we are interested in is this: when should you stop searching for an innovation?
Surprisingly (to us) the answer in our model is: never.
Link to the paper: arxiv.org/abs/2412.03227
December 5, 2024 at 2:48 PM
1/ New (short!) paper with @jmbenkert.bsky.social.
The question that we are interested in is this: when should you stop searching for an innovation?
Surprisingly (to us) the answer in our model is: never.
Link to the paper: arxiv.org/abs/2412.03227
The question that we are interested in is this: when should you stop searching for an innovation?
Surprisingly (to us) the answer in our model is: never.
Link to the paper: arxiv.org/abs/2412.03227
Finally my chance to reject Econometrica!
December 5, 2024 at 9:48 AM
Finally my chance to reject Econometrica!
arXiv is, imo, the best place for publishing working papers and we should recognize the work that volunteers do to provide this public good to us.
Here is the list of current arXiv moderators for economics:
Here is the list of current arXiv moderators for economics:
December 5, 2024 at 9:38 AM
arXiv is, imo, the best place for publishing working papers and we should recognize the work that volunteers do to provide this public good to us.
Here is the list of current arXiv moderators for economics:
Here is the list of current arXiv moderators for economics:
I am teaching a class tomorrow on competition and algorithms. This is the slide I am opening with.
November 19, 2024 at 12:49 PM
I am teaching a class tomorrow on competition and algorithms. This is the slide I am opening with.
Giving a talk in a place where you were a student is such a strange experience. Some 13 years later, the exam anxiety still hits hard! (The seminar experience was wonderful though -- so many great and kind people at Bocconi!)
November 19, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Giving a talk in a place where you were a student is such a strange experience. Some 13 years later, the exam anxiety still hits hard! (The seminar experience was wonderful though -- so many great and kind people at Bocconi!)
11/ Final thoughts? Regulation of startup acquisitions is complex, both from the economic and legal perspectives. This debate is far from over.
November 14, 2024 at 10:13 AM
11/ Final thoughts? Regulation of startup acquisitions is complex, both from the economic and legal perspectives. This debate is far from over.
Do we do threads🧵on #EconSky? I recently gave a talk on competition policy and startup acquisitions. Here are the main points:
1/ Since ~2001, acquisitions have overtaken IPOs as the primary "exit" for VC-backed startups. This shift impacts how competition plays out.
1/ Since ~2001, acquisitions have overtaken IPOs as the primary "exit" for VC-backed startups. This shift impacts how competition plays out.
November 14, 2024 at 10:13 AM
Do we do threads🧵on #EconSky? I recently gave a talk on competition policy and startup acquisitions. Here are the main points:
1/ Since ~2001, acquisitions have overtaken IPOs as the primary "exit" for VC-backed startups. This shift impacts how competition plays out.
1/ Since ~2001, acquisitions have overtaken IPOs as the primary "exit" for VC-backed startups. This shift impacts how competition plays out.
Really, really excited about this: Prof. Edward Glaeser (Harvard University) will deliver a *public* lecture on "Cities and Infrastructure" at the University of Bern this December.
The event is open to the public, you just have to register: www.vwi.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/an...
The event is open to the public, you just have to register: www.vwi.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/an...
October 31, 2024 at 12:04 PM
Really, really excited about this: Prof. Edward Glaeser (Harvard University) will deliver a *public* lecture on "Cities and Infrastructure" at the University of Bern this December.
The event is open to the public, you just have to register: www.vwi.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/an...
The event is open to the public, you just have to register: www.vwi.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/an...
For IO economists: both MaCCI and CRESSE sent out their call for papers today.
October 15, 2024 at 6:15 PM
For IO economists: both MaCCI and CRESSE sent out their call for papers today.
I agree with your quote here. What I find surprising is how little interest among economists (outside of a very small group) there appears to be about this case.
October 10, 2024 at 12:35 PM
I agree with your quote here. What I find surprising is how little interest among economists (outside of a very small group) there appears to be about this case.
Catching killer acquisitions is number 4 on Politico's list of "6 flashpoints for the EU’s new competition chief."
October 7, 2024 at 3:37 PM
Catching killer acquisitions is number 4 on Politico's list of "6 flashpoints for the EU’s new competition chief."
During an event last week, Vestager mentioned "predatory hiring of talent" as a strategy they consider problematic.
If you find this intriguing, @jmbenkert.bsky.social, Shuo Liu, and I have a recent paper on the topic: "Startup Acquisitions: Acquihires and Talent Hoarding."
Links below.
If you find this intriguing, @jmbenkert.bsky.social, Shuo Liu, and I have a recent paper on the topic: "Startup Acquisitions: Acquihires and Talent Hoarding."
Links below.
October 6, 2024 at 1:08 PM
During an event last week, Vestager mentioned "predatory hiring of talent" as a strategy they consider problematic.
If you find this intriguing, @jmbenkert.bsky.social, Shuo Liu, and I have a recent paper on the topic: "Startup Acquisitions: Acquihires and Talent Hoarding."
Links below.
If you find this intriguing, @jmbenkert.bsky.social, Shuo Liu, and I have a recent paper on the topic: "Startup Acquisitions: Acquihires and Talent Hoarding."
Links below.
Jean-Michel Benkert and I are organizing a small workshop on the economics of startup acquisitions.
We welcome theoretical and empirical papers on killer acquisitions, acquihires, incentives to innovate, and other topics related to startup acquisitions.
CfP: www.igorletina.com/files/cfp_es...
📈📉
We welcome theoretical and empirical papers on killer acquisitions, acquihires, incentives to innovate, and other topics related to startup acquisitions.
CfP: www.igorletina.com/files/cfp_es...
📈📉
January 9, 2024 at 3:01 PM
Jean-Michel Benkert and I are organizing a small workshop on the economics of startup acquisitions.
We welcome theoretical and empirical papers on killer acquisitions, acquihires, incentives to innovate, and other topics related to startup acquisitions.
CfP: www.igorletina.com/files/cfp_es...
📈📉
We welcome theoretical and empirical papers on killer acquisitions, acquihires, incentives to innovate, and other topics related to startup acquisitions.
CfP: www.igorletina.com/files/cfp_es...
📈📉
Another proof that IO is general interest. From a newspaper ad I saw today in the train station: "Hospital mergers make everything (better/worse)." The final word is covered by a photo of a newspaper.
November 22, 2023 at 11:57 AM
Another proof that IO is general interest. From a newspaper ad I saw today in the train station: "Hospital mergers make everything (better/worse)." The final word is covered by a photo of a newspaper.
