Barbara Baarsma has a wealth of experience in the field of market forces studies: She was, for example, the project manager of research into education, the free legal professions, the electricity, post and telecommunications sectors, the (school) books market, the insurance (distribution) market, and copyright. She also has experience with regulation studies, and was the project manager of studies of self-regulation, supervision and quality regulation in the electricity sector. Barbara is also engaged in competition studies: she was the project manager of research into the delineation of relevant markets (and has also cooperated in a number of confidential projects on market delineation), the development of a competition test for legislation, issues in the field of market entry, essential facilities, predatory pricing and vertical cooperation. Barbara also advises on competition issues (such as mergers, cartels and state aid). In conclusion, she has a wealth of experience in cost-benefit analyses and monetary valuation. This experience is also relevant for competition work, for example when determining private damage claims in the case of cartels.

In addition to her research work, Barbara holds (guest) lectures and delivers papers, leads workshops, acts as facilitator in decision-making processes and regularly publishes articles on economic politics, market forces and competition in academic journals and the media. Barbara is chairman of the commission 'Cost cap at macro level in specialist medical care' (Macrobeheersinstrument in de medisch specialistische zorg), established by Minister Schippers. Publication is planned in spring 2012. Before, she was chairman for the commission 'Vertical integration in health care' (publication in May 2009), established by Minister Klink. She was also a member of the national public broadcasting company inspection committee that assessed the performance of the national public broadcasting company in the period 2004-2008 (published in April 2009) and the working party 'Review of reference levels' for the ministry of Education, Culture and Science (publication early 2010). 

Barbara Baarsma received her Atheneum B grammar school certificate in 1988, and then studied Industrial Design at the Technical University of Delft for a year before changing to Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), University of Amsterdam. She graduated cum laude in 1993. Barbara worked as a trainee research assistant at the FEB from 1994 to 1999, during which period she also worked as a researcher at SEO Economic Research on project basis.

In April 2000, Barbara was awarded a PhD for her thesis on the Monetary valuation of environmental goods (such as noise nuisance caused by aircraft in the vicinity of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the loss of natural scenery in the IJmeer inland lake on the construction of the IJburg residential district). Barbara joined SEO Economic Research after her graduation. She is engaged on issues in the fields of market forces, competition and regulation. She was Head of the Competition and Regulation Cluster for five years (December 2002 – December 2007) before being appointed Deputy Director of SEO Economic Research in August 2006, followed by her appointment as Director in November 2008. In January 2009, Barbara was also appointed Professor by special appointment of Market Forces and Competition Issues at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Amsterdam (click here for Barbara's inaugural speech).