Events

Logo Munich Summer Institute
Workshop  |  05/20/2026 | 08:30 AM  –  03:00 PM

MSI Ph.D. Workshop 2026

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Herzog-Max-Str. 4, Room 342

 
Munich Summer Institute (MSI)
Conference  |  05/20/2026, 04:00 PM  –  05/22/2026, 04:15 PM

Munich Summer Institute 2026

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Herzog-Max-Str. 4, Auditorium

 

Research News

The European flag, the symbol of the European Union, flies against a blue sky
Study  |  05/12/2026

When does Lobbying Violate Competition Law?

When can corporate lobbying be considered anti-competitive conduct under Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU? This is the question Francisco E. Beneke Avila attempts to answer in his latest article.

 
Infographic focusing on the multiple functions of forests. On the left, trees with extensive roots illustrate processes such as precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, surface runoff, and infiltration. Arrows and labels indicate relationships between cloud formation, albedo effects, and the water cycle. On the right, buildings are shown, including a hospital marked with a red cross, referencing health aspects. A person is walking on a path. The graphic highlights that forests provide ecological and societal functions beyond CO2 storage.
Study  |  03/02/2026

Mitigating Climate Change – Forests Can Do More Than Just Absorb Emissions

All too often, forests are reduced to a single figure: the amount of CO₂ they store. However, a new review in Science, to which the Net Zero Lab contributed, shows that forests do much more than that. They help mitigate climate change by cooling the local environment, regulating water cycles, and improving human health and well-being. The effects vary depending on the environmental context, with important implications for forest management and climate adaptation strategies.

 

Institute News

Orange outline of Germany with white text 'VDI-Initiative: Zukunft Deutschland 2050' (Initiative of the Association of German Engineers: Future Germany 2050)
Miscellaneous  |  04/21/2026

Dietmar Harhoff on the VDI Innovation Council – 5 Impulses for Germany as a Location for Innovation

Dietmar Harhoff now serves a a member of the newly formed VDI Innovationsrat (The Association of German Engineers’ Innovation Council) for Germany. The Innovation Council, which was established in the run-up to the Hannover Messe, is part of the VDI initiative „Zukunft Deutschland 2050“ (Future Germany 2050), which is developing a long-term strategy to ensure Germany’s competitiveness as a location for technology.

 
Group photo of members of the Strategy Circle for Technology and Innovation in the Federal Chancellery, standing in two rows, formal attire, Federal Chancellery, federal ministers, experts.
Miscellaneous  |  03/24/2026

Strategy Group for Technology and Innovation Consults on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation in the Defense Sector

At the invitation of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Strategy Group for Technology and Innovation (Strategiekreis Technologie und Innovation) held its second meeting of the 21st legislative period. The Strategy Group continued its deliberations on the two topics established at theInaugural Meeting on 6 November 2025: “Artificial Intelligence” and “Innovations in the Defense Sector.” In addition, options for strengthening the German innovation system were examined.

 
View of a webpage for the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition showing a historic building in the background and a text section about the institute in the foreground
Miscellaneous  |  03/01/2026

Sixty Years of Research (1966–2026) – A Moment for Reflection

Founded on 1 March 1966, the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law was originally established to pursue fundamental legal research on intellectual property law. The Instituteʼs work has informed legislative developments at the national, European, and international levels, and it continues to promote evidence-based discourse among academia, policymakers, industry, and society.

 

Recent Publications

Intellectual Property and Competition Law

Journal articles

Lu, TianMalicious Initiation of Intellectual Property Civil Litigation in China: The Emerging Jurisprudence of the Supreme People's Court Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property 17.1 (2027), forthcoming 01.01.2027.

 
Journal articles

Pauer, Nada InaEuroparechtliche Grenzen der Verbandsautonomie im Lichte jüngster Entwicklungen NZKart - Neue Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht 14, 3 (2026), 106 - 111.

 
Contributions to collected editions

Heger, AlexanderEconomic Fairness in Sports Governance: Revised Federation Autonomy Following European Superleague in: European Yearbook of International Economic Law, Bd. 2025, Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2026, 1 - 26 (gemeinsam mit Nada Ina Pauer, Michael Primbs).

 

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research

Articles in Refereed Journals

Probst, Benedict; Egli, Florian (2026). Fixing Carbon Credits Requires a New Financing Model PNAS Nexus, 5 (5).

 
Discussion Papers

Chugunova, Marina; Govindan, Pavitra; Ranehill, Eva (2026). Do Meritocratic Evaluations Encourage Women to Enter Male-Majority Workplaces? Experimental EvidenceMax Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper No. 26-05.

 
Articles in Refereed Journals

Wang, Lucy Xiaolu; Chan, Nathan W. (2026). Not All Cannabis Innovation Benefits Patients Mississippi Free Press 2026.