The Research carried out by the Competition & Regulation Cluster examines the design, analysis and evaluation of market forces and government intervention. The research can address a wide range of markets, including grids such as the energy and telecommunications sectors, as well as markets such as the taxi market, the media and the culture sector - all of which are markets in which unbridled market forces do not yield socially-desirable results.

The issues which are examined include: What is the optimum organisation of a given market in terms of the number of players and the ownership structures? Do the market players need to be regulated and, if so, how? What are the consequences of mergers, cartels and dominant economic positions for the competition in a sector, and what is the best approach to the implementation of competition policy and regulation in the sector?

The Cluster's work is often located on the interface between market parties and the government: the Cluster carries out commissions for ministries and regulatory bodies, publicly-owned companies and the private sector.