Kjartan Rasmussen Successfully Defends Doctoral Thesis at BTH

Kjartan Rasmussen has successfully defended his doctoral thesis on productivity in the electricity distribution sector, becoming the latest doctoral graduate from the Department of Industrial Economics.

The public defence took place on 14 April 2026 in room J1630, Campus Karlskrona. The thesis, entitled "Causality, Efficiency, and Technical Change as Determinants of Productivity – An Empirical Analysis of Northern European Distribution System Operators", examines key drivers of productivity among electricity distribution system operators in Northern Europe, integrating causal inference, efficiency measurement, and technical change within a rigorous empirical framework. The work carries significant policy relevance in light of the ongoing regulatory reform of energy markets across the region.

The external reviewer was Professor Per Agrell, Université Catholique de Louvain / Louvain School of Management, Belgium. The examining committee comprised Professor Mette Helene Bjørndal (Norwegian School of Economics), Professor Astrid Cullman (Technische Universität Berlin), and Professor Pär Sjölander (Jönköping International Business School). The examiner was Professor Martin Andersson, BTH.

Throughout his doctoral studies, Kjartan was supervised by Professor Jonas Månsson as main supervisor, together with Dr. Anupama Unnikrishnan (BTH) and Dr. Søren Arnberg (Forsyningstilsynet, Danish Utility Regulator).

The Department of Industrial Economics extends its warmest congratulations to Kjartan Rasmussen on this significant academic achievement and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.