Dr. Michael Funk

Principal

Biography

Michael Funk is a Principal with Swiss Economics and Expert for competition, platforms and digitalization. Previously, Michael was working for the Swiss Competition Commission. His competence lies in competition issues, market analyses, and employing empirical methods in antitrust and damages. He has in depth knowledge of telecommunication, postal, media and energy markets. Michael also has led or participated in several projects, which involved the valuation of a business, synergies from mergers, and damage claims from infringements of competition law. Michael has extensive experience in handling large cases in competition and regulation, where he experienced both perspectives, the side of the private enterprise as well as the authorities.

Michael holds a Ph.D. in economics with specialization in Public and Political Economics. Michael was a visiting scholar at the University of Helsinki and the Turku School of Economics.

Work Experience

Principal, Head Telecommunications, Post and Media, Swiss Economics (2019 – )
Project Manager, Swiss Economics (2015 – 2018)
Economist at the Swiss Competition Commission, Infrastructure Division (2010 – 2014)
Assistant, Chair of Public Finance and Chair for Macroeconomics, University of Fribourg (2004 – 2009)
Scientific assistant, ETH Zürich, Archive of Contemporary History (1997 – 2004)

Education

Quantitative Methods for Competition Analysis, Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (2013)
Internal training on Swiss competition policy, Swiss Competition Commission (2011)
PhD in Economics (Dr. rer. pol.), University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2010)
Visiting Scholar, University of Helsinki and Turku School of Economics, Finland (2007)
Master in History (lic. phil.), University of Fribourg (2002)

Expertise

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Projects (selection)

Independent Expert Reports in ICC Arbitration (2024). Swiss Economics supported on the quantum case of an international arbitration
International developments in ESG and their impact on Swiss SME (2024).
Increasingly comprehensive rules on sustainability reporting and due diligence apply in the EU. What does this mean for Switzerland and its SMEs?
Developments in the electricity market (2024 – ). How has the Swiss electricity market developed in recent years? Client: Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).
Economic support in the merger of UBS and CS (2023). Economic support of the legal team in the merger proceedings of the two major Swiss banks before FINMA.
Supply Tasks, Capitalisation & Governance of a Market Area Manager (2023). Should the future market area manager in the Swiss gas market take on tasks related to supply security? If yes, how should the market area manager be capitalized, and how should the governance be structured? Client: Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
Impact of TV broadcasting licenses on the program and opinion diversity (2023). How will the reallocation of broadcaster licenses for regional television affect the program and opinion diversity? Client: AZ Regionalfernsehen AG.

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Legal protection for journalistic content on the internet (2022 – 2023). On behalf of the Institute of Intellectual Property, Swiss Economics conducted a regulatory impact assessment on the introduction of legal protection for journalistic services on the internet.

Geographical market analysis for a merger in the retail market (2022). What is the geographical extent of retail markets?

Economic and social significance of the EVZ (2022 – 2023). What is the economic and social significance of the EVZ in the Zug region? Client: EV Zug.

Economic analysis of the partial revision of the RTVO (2022 – 2021). Is the partial revision of the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO) economically justified and sensible? Client: CH Media Holding AG.

The role of cross-subsidization for corporate financing (2021). How can cross-subsidies be classified? When is cross-subsidzation allowed and reasonable to corporate financing?

Effectiveness of COVID-19 measures in the second wave (2021 – 2022).

Which measures taken by the Federal Council and the cantons were effective during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Switzerland and how?

Client: Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (SECO).

Trusted data spaces (2020 – 2021). Swiss data governance: How to govern data spaces such that they are trusted by the public and enable innovation? Client: Bund.

Effectiveness and costs of corona measures and optimal level of intervention (2020 – 2021). How effective are non-pharmaceutical measures in containing the coronavirus and how high are the costs of specific measures? Client: Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (SECO).

NOVA and platforms in public transport (2020 – 2021). How can the interests of public transport providers be taken into account in the NOVA platform? Client: Schweizer Verkehrsbetrieb.

Damages assessment in an arbitration case (2020 – 2022). What is the damage arising from the enactment of new EC law on an affected business?

Assessment of economic effects from UPC - Sunrise merger (2020). Update on the economic assessment of effects from the merger between UPC and Sunrise in the light of the reversed acquisition intention of UPC, following Sunrise's withdrawal of its own bid Client: Sunrise.

Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus (2020). How effective are non-pharmaceutical measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus? Client: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

The Effects of the Corona Crisis on the regional Strategy of the Canton of Solothurn (2020). How does the regional strategy of the Canton of Solothurn need to be adjusted following the Corona crisis? Client: Wirtschaftsförderung Kanton Solothurn.

Socio-economic value of a postal service provider (2020). How high is the socio-economic value of a postal service provider?

Antitrust-compliant pricing (2019). Assessment of the antitrust-compliance of a new pricing model in the energy sector

Assessment of economic effects from the UPC - Sunrise merger (2018 – 2019). Assessment of the effects from the merger between Sunrise and UPC on competition, including analysis of coordinated and non-coordinated effects. Client: Sunrise.

Net costs of the USO in Ireland (2018 – 2019). Can the burden of the net cost of the universal service obligation in the Irish telecoms market be borne by the provider? Client: Comreg.

Damage assessment for Sunrise (2018 – 2019). What are the damages resulting from a margin squeeze (abuse of a dominant position)? Client: Sunrise.

Platform and Monetary Economics for Verasity (2018 – 2019). Verasity developed the Proof-of-View blockchain technology and an ad-tech solution to prevent ad fraud on various video platforms. Furthermore, they created a platform for e-sport broadcasts with which they could also test their ad tech solution.

Protocol Design Support for Havven (Synthetix) (2018 – 2019). Havven, rebranded as Synthetix, is a decentralized payment network enabling cryptocurrency purchases.

Development of a synthetic stable coin (Synthetix) (2018). How to design incentives of a token such that it's value represent another asset? Client: Synthetix.io (former Havven).

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Publications (selection)

Mattmann Matteo, Rutz Samuel, Funk Michael, Eschenbaum Nicolas, Marosvölgyi Beatrix (2023). Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Introduction of Legal Protection for Journalistic Content on the Internet. Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI).
Funk Michael, Wüthrich Felix, de Luze Romain, Jenal Larissa, Rutz Samuel, Schelker Mark (2022). Effectiveness of Corona measures in Switzerland. State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.
Rutz Samuel, Mattmann Matteo, Funk Michael und Jeandupeux David (2021). Effectiveness and costs of corona measures and optimal level of intervention. Study commissioned by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.
Rutz Samuel, Trinkner Urs, Funk Michael und Häner Melanie (2021). Universal services and state-owned enterprises in Liechtenstein. Report for Zukunft.li.
Rutz Samuel, Mattmann Matteo, Crede Ann-Kathrin, Funk Michael, Siffert Anja und Häner Melanie (2020). Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Grundlagen für die Wirtschaftspolitik, No. 15, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Funk Michael, Jaag Christian, Rutz Samuel (2019). Gefährdete Kohärenz im Kartellrecht. Zeitschrift für Immaterialgüter-, Informations- und Wettbewerbsrecht (sic!), 5/2019, S. 304-306.

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Funk Michael, Jaag Christian (2018). The more economic approach to predatory pricing. Journal of Competition Law & Economics, Volume 14 (2), pp 292-310.

Funk Michael, Rutz Samuel (2017). Ungleichbehandlung im Wettbewerbsrecht. Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

Trinkner Urs, Funk Michael (2016). Entflechtung der Schweizer Gasnetzbetreiber. Study for the Bundesamt für Energie (BFE).

Trinkner Urs, Funk Michael (2016). Festlegung des Finanzierungskostensatzes 'WACC' für Gas-Fernnetzbetreiber. Report for the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ).