Public Procurement After COVID-19 – Less Competition or More Effectiveness?
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged public authorities to procure urgently needed goods, such as masks and medications, at speed. More flexible procurement procedures created room for rapid action, while raising questions about competition and transparency. How have procurement practices changed since the pandemic began? Are similar developments evident across Europe? And what lessons can we draw for public procurement in future crises?
In this PizzaSeminar, BIGS colleagues Dr. Adelaide Baronchelli and Sebastian Geschonke will present preliminary findings from their research as part of the CEDAR project. Using European procurement data from 2016 to 2023, their work examines changes in the use of different procurement procedures and the openness to competition. The findings reveal a varied picture, with substantial differences across countries and procurement categories. Especially Italy shows a pronounced shift towards less competitive procedures.
We look forward to discuss with you how public procurement can reconcile competition and transparency with governments’ capacity to act effectively.
The main language of the event is English. A usually, participation is possible both in person in Berlin-Mitte, Friedrichstraße 185 and online. Please register via the link below.
Register Here
About the Speakers:
Dr. Adelaide Baronchelli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Statistics at the University of Turin and a Non-Resident Fellow at BIGS. At BIGS, she works mainly on the Horizon Europe project CEDAR and previously worked on the FERMI project. Before joining the University of Turin, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Verona. She obtained an MSc in Economics from the University of Essex and a Ph.D. in Institutions and Policies from the Catholic University of Milan.
Sebastian Geschonke is a research fellow at BIGS and completing his PhD in Economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin. His research focuses on international trade and tariffs over long periods of time. His research touches on business, meta science, and open science. Previously, he studied Economics in Berlin, Toulouse and Stockholm with a focus on empirical analysis. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy at the University of Potsdam.