Christina Sarah Hauser (CCA) and Maria Manera (University of Turin)

Postdocs/RTDA Seminars

Christina Sarah Hauser (CCA)

“Encouraging Organ Donation: Evidence from a Randomized Informational Intervention among Young Adults”

Abstract: Organ transplantation saves lives and improves the life quality of patients, reducing reliance on costly invasive treatments. The technology is becoming available in low and middle income countries, but the gap between organ demand and supply remains large. Our previous work suggests that inadequate information and low trust in institutions contribute to Tunisia’s organ shortage. In a randomized controlled trial at a Tunisian university, we assess the impact of an expert-led informational intervention on young adults’ attitudes towards organ donation and their donor status. The preliminary results are encouraging, showing substantial increases in donor sign-up rates in the treatment group. Using survey data, we can rule out changes in religious beliefs and social norms as potential mechanisms. By contrast, the data reveals large and statistically significant increases in medical and legal knowledge, as well as in institutional trust, among the treated. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to assess the causal effect of an informational treatment on willingness to donate organs in a non-Western context, measuring both attitudes and behavioral outcomes. Our study also relates to the literature on the importance of institutional trust for public health. Finally, by accounting for students’ social networks, we contribute to the literature on information spread through social network

Co-authors: Maleke Fourati

Maria Manera (University of Turin)

“Price shock, copper exposure and innovation”

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between exposure to critical raw materials (CRMs) and firms’ innovation performance. We develop a novel measure of CRM exposure by applying natural language processing techniques to patent abstracts and mapping collaboration networks. Using this framework, we analyze the determinants of CRM exposure, its association with innovation outcomes, and the impact of price shocks on firms’ innovative activity. Our findings reveal that CRM exposure is a highly persistent phenomenon shaped by sunk costs, knowledge accumulation, and increasing returns to specialization. Larger firms engaged in extensive collaboration networks are more likely to be exposed, benefiting from greater resource availability and absorptive capacity. Under stable market conditions, CRM exposure is positively associated with both the intensity and specialization of firms’ innovation. However, price shocks substantially undermine innovation performance, particularly in CRM-related technological domains. These results underscore the need for industrial policies that aim to stabilize supply chains, support exposed companies and strengthen the resilience of critical high-tech sectors.

Co-authors: Matteo Spinazzola, Francesco Quatraro, Josep Tomas-Porres