The existing geopolitical tensions and the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic have underscored the necessity for collaboration within the Single Market. Furthermore, endorsing inter-firm cooperation might involve a growing economic role for the state, such as ramping up state aid and loosening competition regulations.
The latest industrial strategy entails a multifaceted array of objectives (e.g., competitiveness, sustainability, resilience, open strategic autonomy, and social partnership). This complexity prompts inquiries of feasibility, and the impact of these mandates on companies.

Research Area
The question is how these two contradictory ways of economic coordination – specifically, the increase in state aid and the relaxation of competition regulations – can operate concurrently, and whether the new networks would facilitate the advancement of companies in Europe, and more closely in Central and Eastern Europe. We investigate the potential magnitude of unintended consequences, including market distortions, increasing influence of industrial lobby groups at both European and national levels, rent-seeking behaviour, and the erosion of regional cohesion.
The alignment of policies and incentives between European and national levels is also relevant. The battery industry highlights are among the critical issues of European industrial strategy. The industrial alliances and Integrated Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) are at the centre of the EU strategy, and they may have the most formative role in changing market conditions and institutional settings. The European Battery Alliance and the IPCEIs on Batteries have made considerable progress covering the whole value chain. Their investigation implies all relevant issues of the industrial strategy (e.g. raw material, energy policy, skills, digitalisation, and circular economy). In the empirical research, we also closely examine the relationship between competition and cooperation among business entities.

Research Design
The empirical research contains conducting an online survey among industrial players and members of alliances such as EBA, IPCEIs and others. For a more in depth-analysis, a series of interviews are being conducted with key network representatives. Thirdly, we develop case studies, which can be a vehicle to demonstrate best practices and present valuable findings related to specific companies.

About us
The EU+Batteries Research Group was formed at the University of Szeged in 2022. We received a national grant for our research proposal “New European industrial strategy and the Central and Eastern European growth model” (K 143238).

Research Group Leader

Main field of expertise: comparative institutional analysis of the EU economies

Members of the Research Group: