Professor Achim Wambach, PhD, Takes Over the Reins as President of ZEW on April 1, 2016

Today, Professor Achim Wambach, PhD, signed the contract as the new President of the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim. He will take up his office on 1 April 2016 as the successor to Professor Clemens Fuest, who will leave for Munich on March 31, 2016.

"The signing of the contract marks the official appointment of Professor Wambach as the new President of ZEW. We managed to appoint an extremely capable researcher who also has extensive experience in science management and policy consulting. The way is thus paved for a successful continuation of the excellent work done by ZEW," explains Theresia Bauer, Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Head of the ZEW Supervisory Board.

"Professor Wambach is an outstanding, high-profile economist who is very familiar with the interaction of economics and politics. I am convinced that he will further boost the profile of ZEW as one of Europe's leading economic research institutes. Our goal is to further strengthen Baden-Wuerttemberg's position as a sustainable business location. In this regard, I look forward to interesting economic policy impulses from Professor Wambach," says Minister of Finance and Economics Dr Nils Schmid.

"I am looking forward to the new task and the joint work with ZEW’s staff"

Achim Wambach, who is about to become the president of one of the leading European research institutions in the field of economics, professes that, "I am looking forward to the new task and the joint work with ZEW’s staff. ZEW enjoys an outstanding position on a national and international level. The institute is thus best positioned to provide economic policy advice based on rigorous economic research."

Achim Wambach is the current Director of the Institute for Economic Policy as well as professor of Economics at the University of Cologne. In connection with his presidency at ZEW, he will assume a professorship at the University of Mannheim. “We are very pleased that Professor Wambach has accepted the professorship at the University of Mannheim. This will both intensify the already excellent cooperation between the university and ZEW as well as further strengthen Mannheim's position as a research location," says Professor Ernst-Ludwig von Thadden, President of the University of Mannheim.

Wambach's research interests lie in the field of information problems in markets

ZEW Director of Business and Administration Thomas Kohl also strongly supports the decision to appoint Wambach as the new ZEW President. "His broad research profile makes Achim Wambach an excellent match for ZEW as an institute that does outstanding work in the field of economic research and policy consulting, and its research spectrum." Wambach's research interests lie in the field of information problems in markets. He uses market design methods and applies them to various markets including auction, energy, telecommunication and insurance markets.

Achim Wambach studied Physics and Mathematics in Cologne before obtaining his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford. After finishing his Master of Science degree in Economics at the London School of Economics, he completed his habilitation thesis in Economics at the University of Munich. Between 2001 and 2005, he was Professor of Economics at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg.

In 2014, Achim Wambach was appointed a member of the Monopolies Commission. Since 2006, he has been Member of the Academic Advisory Board at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. From 2012 to 2015, he held the board's chair.

Achim Wambach is designated chairman of the Management Board of the German Economic Association (Verein für Socialpolitik). From 2007 to 2008, he was President of the European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists.

For more information please contact

Thomas Kohl, Phone +49 621 1235 111, E-mailkohl@zew.de