The Icelandic Competition Authority's morning conference on competition, inflation and the cost-of-living crisis was held at Harpa Concert Hall on 13th June. Watch a recording below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ffHFM1KPNg&t=2s
Following opening remarks from Páll Gunnar Pálsson, Director General at the ICA, and from Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Cultural and Business Affairs, Pierre Régibeau, Chief Competition Economist at the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP), addressed how competition and competition policy can curb rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
The panel then discussed the topic and addressed a related issue of how competition can benefit employees in labour markets.
Experts in the field were involved in the conference and took part in enlightening panel discussions:
Agenda:
Ana Sofia Rodrigues Chief Economist and Head of the Bureau of Economic Studies and Market Monitoring of the Portuguese Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC) since October 2015, after a year as Senior Competition Expert at the OECD. Before that, she held various positions at AdC. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of York (2008).
Ásgeir Jónsson He has been the governor of the Central Bank of Iceland since 2019. He received an M.Sc. degree in economics from Indiana University in 1997 and a Ph.D. degree from the same university in 2001. Before taking on the role at the Central Bank of Iceland, Ásgeir was the head of the Department of Economics at the University of Iceland.
Lilja Alfreðsdóttir She has been a member of the cabinet since 2016 and the Minister of Culture and Business Affairs since November 2021. Prior to her political career, Lilja held various positions for the Central Bank of Iceland and the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. Lilja holds an M.A. in economics from Columbia University in New York.
Martin Gaynor is the E.J. Barone University Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and former Director of the Bureau of Economics at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Professor Gaynor's research focuses on competition and incentives in healthcare, and on antitrust policy. Mr Gaynor received his Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1983.
Páll Gunnar Pálsson He has been Director General of the Icelandic Competition Authority since 2005. Previously, he held positions in public administration, in the fields of industry, commerce, energy, and financial supervision. He is a lawyer by training.
Pierre Régibeau is the Chief Competition Economist at DG Competition. He specialises in the field of Industrial Organisation, law and economics and international business. Dr Régibeau holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley. Since 1987 he has held teaching positions at MIT, Northwestern University, the University of Barcelona, and the University of Essex, where he is currently a visiting honorary professor.
Sveinn Agnarsson is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Icelandic Competition Authority. He is a full professor of economics at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Iceland. Sveinn holds an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Iceland and a PhD in economics from the University of Gothenburg. His research has mainly focused on various aspects of fisheries management and research utilisation, as well as applied microeconomics.
Valur Thráinsson He has served as the Chief Economist at the Icelandic Competition Authority since 2019. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Iceland, an MSc degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam with a special focus on IO, regulation and competition policy, and a PG Diploma in EU Competition Law from King's College London.
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