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Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Finger

Counsel

matthias.finger@swiss-economics.ch

+41 44 597 97 43 (office)

+41 79 593 87 00 (mobile)

LinkedIn

Biography

Matthias Finger is a Counsel and member of the executive board of Swiss Economics. He has been involved in the governance and regulation of network industries for decades. He was a member of the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom) for 12 years, and of the Swiss rail regulator (RailCom), also for 12 years. Matthias was a professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) between 2002 and 2020, and is currently responsible for digital governance and regulation at the EPFL's Center for Digital Trust (C4DT). Since 2010, he has also been a part-time professor at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence and, since 2018, a professor at Istanbul Technical University (ITÜ). In the course of his academic and professional career, Matthias has moderated a large number of economic and political discussions and negotiations. More recently, he has also been applying his expertise to digital platforms, as a new type of network industry.

Work Experience

  • Counsel at Swiss Economics (2008-), member of the executive board (2020- )
  • Professor em. at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne (EPFL), responsible for digital and policy regulation at the EPFL's Center for Digital Trust (2020- )
  • Editor-in-chief of the journal Competition and Regulation in Network Industries (SAGE) (2017-2023), now deputy editor-in-chief
  • Director of the Istanbul Center for Regulation (IC4R) and Professor at the Istanbul Technical University (ITÜ) (2020- )
  • Director of the global Executive Program on Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems (iglus.org) (2014- )
  • Director of the Florence School of Regulation’s Transport Area (FSR-T), European University Institute (EUI) (2010-2022), now deputy Director
  • Swiss Post Chair in Management of Network Industries at EPFL (2002-2020)
  • Member of ElCom, the Swiss electricity market regulator (2007-2019)
  • Director of the Institute of Technology and Public Policy (ITPP), EPFL (2014-2018)
  • Member of RailCom, the Swiss railway market regulator (2004-2015)
  • Dean of Executive Education at EPFL (2003-2009)
  • Professor of Management of Public Enterprises at the Swiss Federal Institute of Public Administration (IDHEAP) (1995-2002)
  • Associate Professor at Columbia University, New York City (1992-1994)
  • Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, New York (1989-1991)

Education

  • Ph.D. in Education, University of Geneva (1986)
  • Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Geneva (1984)

Recent Books

  • The rise of the new network industries: regulating digital platforms (with Juan Montero). London: Routledge (2021)
  • The Elgar Companion to Urban Infrastructure Governance: Innovations, Concepts and Cases (co-edited Numan Yanar). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (2021)
  • A modern guide to the digitalization of infrastructure (co-edited with Juan Montero). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (2021)
  • Beziehungen unter Strom: Die Schweiz, die Elektrizität und die Europäische Union (with Paul van Baal). Zürich: Chronos Verlag (2020)
  • Rail Regulation Handbook (co-edited with Juan Montero). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (2020)
  • Network Industries. A research overview. London: Routledge (2020)
  • SBB – was nun? Szenarion für die Organisation der Mobilität in der Schweiz. Zürich: NZZ Libro (2019)

Expertise

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Projects (selection)

  • Review of the management of regulatory requirements for a Swiss energy company (2025). Is relevant regulatory information properly taken into account and translated into strategic decisions?  
  • Audit of distribution network tariffs (2024). Do electricity and gas tariffs comply with the regulatory framework?  
  • Analysis of district heating tariffs for a Swiss canton (2024). Are thermal network tariffs fair for consumers and do they create the right incentives?  
  • Necessity and Key Elements of a Swiss Data and Digital Policy (2023). What are the main challenges for Swiss digital policy? How can these challenges be analyzed and classified economically?  
  • Cost Analysis and Pricing Strategy for District Heating in Central Valais (2022 – 2023). At what level should the district heating tariff in Central Valais be set? Client: OIKEN SA.  
  • Pricing of heat from a waste incineration plant (2022). What is the fair price for the heat sold by a waste-to-energy plant? Client: -.  

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  • Structure and governance of a Swiss innovation fund (2021 – 2022). If Switzerland wants to introduce an innovation fund, how should it be structured? Client: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (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.  
  • 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.  
  • Railway power networks and fast charging of e-buses (2020 – 2021). What role(s) could SBB play in the domain of fast charging of e-buses and what could be the benefits for the whole economy? Client: SBB Energie.  
  • Regulation, costing and pricing of district heating (2020). What are the cost drivers of district heating? What is a "fair" price for district heating? How should the governance and regulation for district heating networks look like? Client: Services Industriels de Genève (SIG), Office cantonal de l'énergie (OCEN).  

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Publications (selection)

  • Bruhin Lukas, Eschenbaum Nicolas, Finger Matthias, Trinkner Urs (2023). Necessity and Key Elements of a Swiss Data and Digital Policy. Swiss Economics.  
  • Trinkner Urs, Mattmann Matteo, Finger Matthias , Bruhin Lukas, Grichnik Dietmar, Greger Michael (2022). Options for a Swiss Innovation Fund. State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.  
  • Finger Matthias, Haller Andreas, Strube Martins Sonia, Trinkner Urs (2014). Integrated Timetables for Railway Passenger Transport Services. Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, 15(1), pp. 78 - 107.  
  • Finger Matthias, Trinkner Urs (2014). How to proceed after the paradigm shift in public service? Die Volkswirtschaft 7/8-2014, pp. 34-37.  
  • Finger Matthias, Kern Markus, Strube Martins Sonia, Trinkner Urs (2012). Long-term securing of integrated timetables. Study for the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).  
  • Jaag Christian, Trinkner Urs, Finger Matthias, Lang Markus, Lutzenberger Martin (2009). Implementation options for an active public FTTH policy for Switzerland. Study for Sunrise.  

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  • Finger Matthias, Jaag Christian, Lang Markus, Lutzenberger Martin, Trinkner Urs (2009). Determining the Regulatory Need from an Economic Perspective: Appropriateness and Consequences of Functional or Structural Separation of Swisscom. Study for Swisscom.  
  • Finger Matthias, Horner Samuel, Jaag Christian, Lutzenberger Martin, Trinkner Urs (2009). Concept of a Homogeneous Calculation Model for Determining the Qualitative Benefits and Cost-effectiveness of E-Government Projects. Swiss Economics presents a concept for the evaluation of e-government projects.  
  • Mägli Martin, Jaag Christian, Finger Matthias (2009). Coûts de la régulation des industries de réseaux: enseignements du réseau postal. Revue d'économie industrielle 127(3).  
  • Finger Matthias, Trinkner Urs (2008). Does a liberalized postal market need a sector specific regulator? Network Industries Quarterly 10(1), 18-19.