EDP - Shedding light on a liberalized market

Abstract

This paper discusses the impact and consequences of the liberalization of the Portuguese energy market on the incumbent company structure, operation and strategy – EDP.
It is divided into three main parts: the case study, the literature review of pertinent topics, and a teaching note intended to help instructors using the case. It addresses the specificities of the sector, the core competencies of the company and, with the support of the literature review, the possible business strategies to overcome this harsh challenge.
The case emphasizes EDP’s option to promote competitive advantage through a differentiation approach, based on customer experience and exclusive services, backed by the inner strengths of the company.
The analysis intends to deepen the understanding of the market, and the changes it underwent, to frame EDP potentialities and to address the different strategic options the company faced. With this it hopes to conclude that, in a liberalized utility market, the only way to escape the commodity trap is to implement a differentiation strategy.

Date of Award	15 May 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Magalhães Guedes (Supervisor)