Young Leaders from China and Germany Visit ZEW

As part of the fourth German-Chinese Young Leaders Conference, about 40 young executives from both countries visited ZEW on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. They discussed current economic issues with ZEW researchers and received insights into the work of the economic research institute.

Professor Irene Bertschek, head of the Research Department "Information and Communication Technologies", welcomed the group at ZEW. In her opening presentation, she discussed the effect of growing digitalisation and interconnectedness on companies. Afterwards, Dr. Georg Licht, head of the Research Department "Industrial Economics and International Management", gave a presentation on the innovative capabilities of Chinese companies, addressing the link between patent applications and productivity growth in China. The event was concluded with a presentation by Professor Michael Schröder on the development of the Chinese economy and the economic outlook for the coming months. The topics addressed in the presentations were then put up for discussion.

Since 2011, the German-Chinese Young Leaders Conference has been organised annually by Global Bridges. The visit at ZEW forms part of the several-day conference.