Maarten Janssen

Maarten Janssen serves as Professor of Microeconomics at the University of Vienna's Department of Economics within the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, where he also holds the position of Vice-Director of Studies for the Directorate of Doctoral Studies. His teaching portfolio includes advanced courses such as the OMDS/VGSE Research Seminar in Microeconomics (MA), Industrial Organization (BA), and Competition and Regulation: Theory (MA), reflecting his deep engagement with both theoretical and applied microeconomic education.

His research centers on consumer search behavior, auction theory, and markets characterized by asymmetric information, with particular emphasis on digital platforms and e-commerce dynamics. Janssen investigates how consumers navigate search costs, how platforms leverage big data for ranking algorithms, and how firms strategically design pricing and return policies in competitive environments. His work bridges rigorous theoretical modeling with practical market applications, often focusing on welfare implications for consumers and market efficiency.

Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in platform economics, including dual learning mechanisms where platforms optimize rankings based on consumer choices, strategic implications of unobserved wholesale contracts, and welfare effects of influencer marketing in search markets. His research consistently addresses real-world market design challenges in digital commerce and information-rich environments.

Professor Janssen's scholarly recognition includes the following distinctions:

• fellow of the CEPR (London)
• member of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities
• research associate at ZEW (Mannheim)
• academic affiliate at CEG Europe

He actively supervises PhD students in the Department of Economics and maintains collaborative research relationships through his institutional affiliations. His work frequently examines the intersection of microeconomic theory with industrial organization challenges, particularly in evolving digital markets where information asymmetry and consumer search behavior create unique strategic considerations for firms and platforms.

Through his affiliations with CEPR, ZEW, and CEG Europe, Janssen participates in international research networks that facilitate cross-institutional collaboration on industrial organization topics, contributing to both academic discourse and policy-relevant economic analysis in European markets.