Christian Jaag presented a paper on "Postal Strategies in a Digital age" at the 4th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures of the Florence School of Regulation.

Swiss Economics contributed three presentations and papers to the 23rd Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics:

• Commercial and regulatory challenges for postal e-services in Switzerland
• Cryptocurrencies: New Opportunities for Postal Financial Services
• Postal strategies in a digital age

All papers are available in our Working Paper Series.

Abstract: Rail passenger transport services with integrated regular interval timetables (IRIT) offer passengers a regular interval timetable for services on the railway network. IRIT have the potential to increase the quality and attractiveness of railway passenger services in comparison to other transport modes. This paper summarizes the advantages and challenges of the implementation of IRIT for railway passenger services, presents a quantitative model which simulates passenger utility in an IRIT railway system compared to other forms of timetables, and derives the main requirements for the successful introduction of IRIT. The comparison of the regulatory framework, the role of IRIT and the development of passenger railway services in CH, the NL and the UK, shows that in those countries where either IRIT has been introduced (CH) or the high frequency of trains between cities provides for a system comparable to IRIT (NL), railway services play a more important role in the modal split. The successful introduction of IRIT requires a long-run implementation schedule which identifies the necessary investment in the railway infrastructure and points out the financial resources available to make those investments. Further, IRIT requires a high level of punctuality of railway passenger services, coordination between railway companies when designing the timetable and a priority rule for passenger railway services within IRIT when there are capacity restrictions on the railway network.

To the working paper

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) published a report of Ecofys and Swiss Economics on future energy markets and the role of power network operators.

To the final report

In collaboration with the University of Zurich, Swiss Economics has written a study on the benefits of auditing. The study concludes that auditing improves firm specific information, thus potentially reducing information deficits of numerous stakeholders. The benefit thanks to the reduction of information deficits are particularly large for publicly owned firms and firms with many stakeholders.

To the final report

In a recent article on the experiences with the electricity market in the EU, we conclude that the member states have not yet worked out a silver bullet in the organization of the regulatory conditions.

Two scientific papers by Swiss Economics team members were published in the book «Postal and Delivery Innovation in the Digital Economy». The publications discuss the consequences of an adjustment of Saturday delivery in the United States and of the new postal law in Switzerland.

To the book

Dr. Michael Funk is a project leader for Swiss Economics with a focus on competition policy and regulatory economics. After his studies in history and economics at the University of Fribourg, he obtained his Doctorate in the areas of political economics and financial sciences. He subsequently worked as an economist for the competition commission.

At the International Postal and e-Communications Conference, Christian Jaag gave a presentation on the Swiss regulatory framework for the postal sector in light of current challenges.

Martin Lutzenberger is our new Director of Office Berlin. Focusing on competition economics, economic policy, transportation and energy, Martin will develop our activities in Germany.
After his studies in economics at the University of Freiburg i.Br. he received a doctoral degree at the University of Zurich. From 2010 to 2014, he was a project manager and lecturer at the University of Lucerne. Besides, he was a lecturer at the University of Zurich and an external expert in Swiss Economics.

Swiss Economics has presented recent research papers at the 22th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics:

• USO cost allocation rules and welfare
• Market Regulations and USO in the Revised Swiss Postal Act
• Estimating the Financial Impact of Discontinuing Saturday Delivery

The works are available in our Working Paper Series.

As of now, we accept Bitcoin as payment for our consulting services. We also offer our employees the option to receive their salary (or a part of it) in Bitcoin.

The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) published today a report of Swiss Economics on the Impact of the discontinuance of Saturday delivery for letters and flats on the U.S. Postal Service.

To the final report

Christian Jaag presented the research paper «The Effect of Payment Reversibility on E-commerce and Postal Quality» at the 8th Bi-Annual Postal Economics Conference of the Toulouse School of Economics. The irreversibility of payments in virtual currencies shifts the risk of e-commerce from merchants to consumers. Under certain conditions, this strengthens online retailers in competition with brick-and-mortar stores as well as incentives for postal quality.

BNetzA published the report of Swiss Economics on benchmarking the German energy distribution system operators.

Two new publications of Swiss Economics team members have been published in the book «The Role of the Postal and Delivery Sector in a Digital Age».

To the book
To the working paper «USO Burden»
To the working paper «USO Delivery»

The webinar included inputs from the USPS IOG Global Team and the UPU