15 Years of ZEW – A Success Story

Fifteen years after its foundation in 1991, the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim has become one of the leading economic research institutes in Germany. The number of employees as well as third-party funding has reached a new peak and the admission to the Leibniz Gemeinschaft on 1 January 2005 confirms the excellent work at ZEW. "We have established ourselves amongst the leaders in the field of economic research in Germany and we intend to expand our strong position - also on an international level," state Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz, ZEW president, and Thomas Kohl, ZEW Director of Business and Administration, explaining the institute’s orientation for the coming years.

In 1991, the institute started with only 15 employees. Today ZEW hosts about 150 employees, 100 of whom are engaged in research. Compared to 31 December 2005, the number of employees increased by 20 people in 2006, which solely results from the growing number of employees in the Research Departments of ZEW. The institute’s researchers regularly publish contributions in renowned academic journals worldwide and visit leading scientific conferences.

ZEW has also gained a reputation for advising the EU as well as federal and state ministries. The amount of third-party funding has reached its highest level since the foundation of the research institute in 1991. In 2006, it increased by approximately 50 per cent compared to the previous year (2005: 5.16 million euros). The European Union (EU) has been one of ZEW's major clients for several years. This demonstrates the institute’s strong base in the European research network as its name "ZEW" suggests. The application orientation and practical relevance of the research at ZEW are reflected in the growing share of private sector enterprises among the clients. Other ZEW clients are federal and state level ministries. Of particular note is the support provided by foundations and the German Research Foundation (DFG) since the approval of such projects is preceded by a though assessment procedure to make sure that a study is at the forefront of international research.

The ZEW’s increasing integration into the international research network is reflected in the ZEW Doctoral Studies Network and the ZEW Visiting Researchers Programme, which the institute launched in 2006. As part of the Doctoral Studies Network, ZEW collaborates with the doctoral programmes at the universities of St. Gallen, Constance and Mannheim (more universities are yet to join) in order to provide a further support for doctoral candidates in addition to the existing doctoral promotion programmes. The ZEW Visiting Researchers Programme enables ZEW to intensify its cooperation with internationally renowned researchers.

The increasingly international orientation of ZEW becomes visible at numerous events. In 2006, the institute hosted lectures of the research series "Perspectives for Economic Policy" not only in Mannheim, Stuttgart and Berlin, but also for the first time in Brussels. Since 2006, ZEW has also offered advanced training in financial econometrics for professional audiences and since 2007 it has hosted advanced training in econometrics in Brussels.

Contact

Thomas Kohl, Phone: +49(0)621/1235-111, E-mail: kohl@zew.de