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COBRA – Mannheim Center for Corporate Behavior and Regulation Analysis

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How Policy Shapes Business – and Why it Matters

We study the real-world effects of regulation and public policy on businesses, markets, and society. 

 

In the Spotlight

COBRA Soft Launch

COBRA – the Mannheim Center for Corporate Behavior and Regulation Analysis – marks its official start with a soft launch event at Mannheim Business School. Academic Director Marcel Olbert introduces the Center’s vision and early developments, while MBS Dean Joachim Lutz welcomes the initiative. The event brings together faculty, researchers, and the broader community, creating space for exchange and connection at an informal reception afterwards.

AI & Code Clinic for Research and Teaching

In May, COBRA hosted the first edition of its AI and Code Clinic for Research and Teaching, two workshops designed for faculty and researchers interested in the use of AI in empirical research. Across two sessions, participants explored how AI agents such as Claude Code can support the research process, discussed practical applications and common pitfalls, and were introduced to new data infrastructure for the research community. The series offered a hands-on forum for learning, exchange, and experimentation, reflecting COBRA’s commitment to advancing innovative and methodologically rigorous research.

COBRA Backs Nine New Projects

Following the launch of its first Call for Proposals in March, COBRA is now supporting nine new research projects exploring how economic policy and regulation shape business, markets, and society. The funded projects reflect COBRA’s ambition to advance innovative, high-impact research with clear relevance for policy, business, and public debate. Support will enable researchers to access data, collaborate with external research assistants, and take part in conferences, fieldwork, and research visits. Together, these projects offer an early glimpse of the research energy and real-world relevance at the heart of COBRA. 

What We Do

COBRA – the Mannheim Center for Corporate Behavior and Regulation Analysis – is based at Mannheim Business School and serves as a leading platform for rigorous, data-driven research on regulation, taxation, financial markets, corporate decision-making, and public policy. The Center provides the infrastructure and programs needed to advance high-impact research, foster academic development, and connect scholarship with practice and policy. 

Our core activities include:

  • Pre-doctoral research assistant program preparing outstanding candidates for leading PhD placements
  • Research funding for faculty and students
  • Academic seminars and visiting scholar programs
  • Conferences, workshops, and events
  • Dissemination of research through policy engagement, public outreach, and media communication

Who We Serve

COBRA works with researchers, students, policymakers, businesses, and media organizations to connect academic research with real-world economic and regulatory questions. 

  • Academics: An international platform for collaborative research and interdisciplinary exchange.
  • Students & Early-Career Researchers: Research teaching, mentoring, and hands-on experience that support doctoral placements and academic careers.
  • Policymakers: Independent empirical evidence that informs regulatory debates and policy design.
  • Businesses: Access to academic expertise, research insights, and emerging analytical talent.
  • Journalists: Evidence-based analysis that supports informed reporting and public discussion.

Our Impact

COBRA strengthens the link between academic research, public policy, and business practice by conducting rigorous empirical evidence, developing the next generation of researchers, and contributing to informed policy and regulatory debate.

  • Advancing Research Excellence: Supporting internationally recognized, data-driven research on regulation, taxation, transparency, financial markets, and corporate behavior.
  • Developing Academic Talent: Equipping early-career researchers for leading doctoral programs and research careers through structured mentoring, academic training, and hands-on research experience.
  • Shaping Policy & Practice: Bringing robust empirical evidence into policy discussions, regulatory debates, and public discourse.
  • Informing Business & Society: Translating research insights into evidence-based perspectives that support better-informed decisions across business, regulation, and the media.

Explore COBRA

Data & Tools

Find dashboards and data access points here.

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Research

Explore our research, academic programs, publications and early-career opportunities.

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Policy

Discover our policy insights and opportunities to discuss emerging policy issues with us.

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Business

Find out how we collaborate with businesses.

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Media

Find media coverage, expert perspectives, and accessible research-driven analysis here.

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Events

Upcoming conferences, workshops, policy events and PhD events.

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People

Meet the people behind COBRA, our researchers, advisors, interns, and core team. 

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Stay Connected with COBRA

COBRA – Mannheim Center for Corporate Behavior and Regulation Analysis
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MANNHEIM BUSINESS SCHOOL (MBS)

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