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Mikael Mäkimattila

Ph.D. Student
Aalto University
mikael.makimattila (at) aalto.fi


About Me

I am a PhD student in Economics at Aalto University. I began my doctoral studies in 2021, spent the 2023–24 academic year at the MIT Department of Economics, and will be on the academic job market in 2025–26.

I study microeconomics, using game theory and mechanism design to examine how asymmetric information shapes market behavior and optimal regulation. Although primarily theoretical, my work addresses pressing policy challenges such as environmental policy, economic inequality, and the regulation of digital markets, and I occasionally complement theory with empirical evidence.

I am grateful to Aalto University, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Fulbright Finland Foundation, HSE Support Foundation, KAUTE Foundation, and OP Group Research Foundation for funding my research work.

Microeconomics is fun, but I also like to wander through Helsinki on sunlit summer nights—marveling at the Art Nouveau façades, watching the waves of the Baltic Sea and listening to a Sibelius symphony.

Working Papers

Pigouvian Income Taxation, with Lassi Ahlvik and Matti Liski.

The Design and Price of Certification, with Yucheng Shang and Ryo Shirakawa.

  • Accepted at EC '25.

Pig in a Poke, with Jana Gieselmann and Teemu Pekkarinen.

Fake It Till You Exit, with Eero Mäenpää.


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