New challenges facing firms in the post-Covid world

The conference aims to create a forum for discussion on issues related to the recent patterns of firms' activity, the organization of production and financing decision, as well as their determinants, consequences and implications for policymaking. The conference will feature two keynote lectures by Antoinette Schoar (MIT) and Ralf Martin (Imperial College).

The final programme is available below and here in pdf format.

To register, please fill out the form you can find at the following links: Thursday, 9 Dec, 2021 01:00 p.m. (CET) & Friday, 10 Dec, 2021 10:30 am (CET)

Programme (Central European Summer Time, Eastern Daylight Time + 6)

THURSDAY 12/9 AFTERNOON (Registration to day 1 - link)
13.50-14.00 Welcome address: Fabrizio Balassone (Bank of Italy)

Session 1: Competition ­- Chair: E. Ciapanna (Bank of Italy).
14.00 - 14.45 The Aggregate Effects of Acquisitions on Innovation and Economic Growth; Christian Fons-Rosen (U. of California in Merced), Pau Roldan-Blanco (Bank of Spain), Tom Schmitz (Bocconi U.). Discussant: I. Letina (U. of Bern)
14.45 – 15.30 A Tale of Two Networks: Common Ownership and Product Market Rivalry; Florian Ederer (Yale U.), Bruno Pellegrino (U. of Maryland). Discussant: P. Beaumont (McGill U.)
15-30 15.45 BREAK
15.45-16.45 Invited lecture 1 - Chair: L. Citino (Bank of Italy)
Ralf Martin (Imperial College):  “Environmental preferences and technological choices: is market competition clean or dirty?

Session 2: Green transition - Chair: J.S. Mésonnier (Banque de France). 
16.45 - 17.30 The Macroeconomic Effects of a Carbon Tax to Meet the U.S. Paris Agreement Target: The Role of Firm Creation and Technology Adoption; Alan Finkelstein-Shapiro (Tufts U.), Gilbert Metcalf (Tufts U.). Discussant: Toan Phan (Richmond Fed)
17.30 – 18.15 The Optimal Design of Green Securities; Adelina Barbalau (U. of Alberta), Federica Zeni (Imperial College London and Bank of Italy). Discussant: Jean-Paul Renne (U. Lausanne)
 

FRIDAY 12/10 MORNING (Registration to day 2 - link)
Session 3: Firm organization and financing
Chair: C. Cahn (Banque de France). 
11.30 - 12.15 Firms, lateral functions and the knowledge economy; Eric Mengus (HEC Paris), Tomasz Michalski (HEC Paris). Discussant: Ricardo Zago (Banque de France)
12.15- 13.00 The sensitivity of SME investment and employment to the cost of debt financing; Diana Bonfim (Banco de Portugal and Católica Lisbon), Claudia Custodio (Imperial College London), Clara Raposo (ISEG School of Economics and Management, Universidade de Lisboa). Discussant: Klaas Mulier (U. of Ghent)
13-14 LUNCH

FRIDAY 12/10 AFTERNOON
Session 4: Supply chains - Chair: T. Mayer (Sciences Po). 
14.00 - 14.45 Supply shocks in supply chains: Evidence from the early lockdown in China; Raphael Lafrogne-Joussier (CREST ENSAE), Julien Martin (Université du Québec à Montréal), Isabelle Méjean (Sciences Po). Discussant: Frank Pisch (Darmstadt U.)
14.45 – 15.30 Technological Change and Domestic Outsourcing; Antonin Bergeaud (Banque de France and Ecole Polythechnique), Clement Malgouyres (IPP), Clement Mazet (Banque de France and Sciences Po), Sara Signorelli (Paris School of Economics). Discussant: G. Berlingieri (ESSEC Business School) 
15-30 15.45 BREAK

Session 5: Automation - Chair: F. Lotti (Bank of Italy). 
15.45 – 16.30 What Are the Labor and Product Market Effects of Automation? New Evidence from France; Philippe Aghion (College de France), Céline Antonin (OFCE), Simon Bunel (Banque de France), Xavier Jaravel (London School of Economics) Discussant:  F. Manaresi (OECD)
16.30 – 17.15 Workplace Automation and Corporate Financial Policies; Thomas Bates (Arizona State), Fangfang Du (California State), Jessie Jiaxu Wang (Arizona State U.) Discussant: L. Zaccaria (EIEF)
17.15-17.30 BREAK

17.30 -18.30 Invited lecture 2 - Chair: S. Guibaud (Sciences Po)
Antoinette Schoar (MIT): “Blockchain Analysis of the Bitcoin Market”
18.30 Conclusion and adjourn

Program committee: 
Christophe Cahn (Banque de France), Federico Cingano (Banca d’Italia), Stéphane Guibaud (Sciences Po), Francesca Lotti (Banca d’Italia), Thierry Mayer (Sciences Po and CEPR), Jean-Stéphane Mésonnier (Banque de France and Sciences Po), Claudio Michelacci (EIEF and CEPR). 
Organization committee: 
Federico Cingano, Francesca Lotti, Jean-Stéphane Mésonnier and Alessandra Piccinini (Banca d’Italia).