Enel Foundation Chair in Competitiveness and Transition
Francesco Decarolis is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics at Bocconi University in Milan. His research focuses on Industrial Organization, with particular attention to issues related to competition economics, antitrust, market design, public procurement, and platform regulation.
He is a Research Affiliate at CEPR and serves as an Associate Editor for Econometrica and The Review of Economic Studies. At Bocconi University, he is the Director of the PhD program in Economics and Finance and coordinates the CCR (Competitiveness, Competition and Regulation) unit within the Baffi Center.
Over the past fifteen years, he has held various consulting positions for public institutions, including the European Commission, the Italian Prime Minister’s Office, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), and the Court of Milan. He has also held leadership roles as Head of the Accounting, Economics, and Statistics area at the National School of Administration of the Prime Minister’s Office and as Coordinator of two research projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC): RepCor – Reputation and Corruption in Procurement (2016–2021) and CoDiM – Competition in Digital Markets (2021–2025).
Held by - Francesco Decarolis
Joint Purpose
In 2025, the partnership between Enel Foundation and Bocconi University led to the creation of the Enel Foundation Chair in Competitiveness and Transition, a named chair assigned to Francesco Decarolis, Full Professor in the Department of Economics.
The chair aims to analyse and interpret broad themes related to global competitiveness and the energy transition, with particular attention to market regulation. Specifically, it seeks to deepen the understanding of how private enterprises and public regulation interact in shaping the evolution of energy and electricity markets, with a specific focus on policy responses to the challenges of the energy transition.
Core Activities
Research
The research will focus on topics such as the design of electricity markets, investments in clean technologies, and competition in regulated sectors — contributing to the definition of a new balance between competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation.
In the European context, the Chair will also evaluate the policies introduced after the energy crisis, assessing the impact of the different strategies adopted by member states and proposing policy solutions that balance the need for government intervention with the preservation of adequate incentives for investments in clean and flexible technologies.
Finally, the research activities will explore tools to enhance the competitiveness of the energy sector as well as the evolution of regulations on public contracts and concessions, with particular attention to forms of public–private partnerships.
Communication and Dissemination
With the ambition to provide a high-level academic and institutional contribution, the Chair adopts an interdisciplinary approach and promotes close collaboration with public institutions, industry players, and international research centers. The goal is to develop analyses and policy proposals that can support the creation of a more sustainable, competitive, and resilient energy system.
The research activity is further enriched through the dissemination of results, achieved by participating in seminars and conferences and by producing an annual report.