I am an Internet researcher and economist. I am head of Research Group 3 (“Work and Cooperation in the Sharing Economy”) at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society (German Internet Institute) and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Internet Network Architectures Group at TU Berlin. I am also an associated researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken and a member of the Digitalizing Infrastructure Expert Group at the Florence School of Regulation at the European University Institute and play a leading role in the International Telecommunications Society Friendship Circle of Europe.
I organize a (virtual) talks series – PLAMADISO (Platforms, Markets, and the Digital Society) Talks (YouTube channel) – which provides a novel platform for researchers across fields (e.g., economics, computer science, law, engineering) to present and discuss their work. At the Weizenbaum Institute, I am also the Co-Chair of a Working Group on EU Regulation (with Dr. Zohar Efroni).
I am also a lecturer for Digital Business Models at the Universität der Künste in Berlin.
Research Vision
I am an economist focusing on the digital economy. In my research, I examine the socio-economic effects of digitalization at the confluence of technology, business, and policy.
My major research interests encompass:
- Economics, evolution, and regulation of digital infrastructures and the Internet ecosystem
- Broadband and Internet policy
- Digital Economy – digital transition and the platform economy
My research vision aims to contribute with theoretical, empirical, and policy work from a techno-economic perspective to the scientific discourse surrounding the digital economy and the Internet ecosystem.
Interdisciplinarity
A significant part of my research is interdisciplinary, and I am regularly collaborating with international researchers from various fields such as computer science, engineering, law, or the social sciences.
I have been involved in several research collaborations with members of my research group at the Weizenbaum Institute and researchers from TU Berlin as well as internationally renowned institutions like the MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Northumbria University, WU Vienna, and Politecnico Torino.
Background
Before joining the Weizenbaum Institute, I was a doctoral researcher (research assistant) at the University of Freiburg (Chair of Network Economics, Competition Economics and Transport Science) where I obtained my doctorate in economics (Dr.rer.pol, with the highest distinction) and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken. My doctoral thesis was awarded with the Südwestmetall-Förderpreis. I studied at the Universities of Freiburg and Mannheim and the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki (Finland) and hold a Diplom degree (Dipl.-Vw.) in Economics.
During my time as a doctoral researcher, I have been a lecturer in Economics at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Lörrach and spent time as a visiting researcher at the TU Berlin, the University of Northumbria in Newcastle (UK), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge (US).