Baden-Wuerttemberg Supports Economic Top Level Research At ZEW With Three Million Euro

The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg is financing a landmark project at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim to strengthen the economic top level research. In 2010 and 2011, the research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies" (SEEK) will be financed with a total of three million euro.

With this landmark project, ZEW expands its position in the international research landscape. "In the future, ZEW is to become even more acknowledged as leading European economic research institute," Prof. Dr. Peter Frankenberg, Minster of Science of Baden-Wuerttemberg, said. ZEW is currently financed by 40 percent of third party funds. "This indicates that political advisory work plays an important role at ZEW. The federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg supports ZEW with the SEEK project. The institute is to expand its expertise in the fields of political advisory work and to set up an internationally oriented research and support programme for highly qualified young researchers," Prof. Dr. Peter Frankenberg said.

The SEEK programme gives a dynamic impulse to the empirical research work at ZEW. "With all the insights we’ll get from the SEEK project, we want to contribute to improving the competitiveness in European economies, which are becoming more and more knowledge-based," says ZEW President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz. "ZEW contributes to the EU goals for 2020, aiming at increasing the productivity and a high level of employment in the member states."

The Innovation Council Baden-Wuerttemberg recommended the sponsoring of the SEEK landmark project at ZEW. The Council advises the state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg on issues concerning innovation policy.

For further information please contact

Stephan Reichert, Phone: +49 (0)621/1235-104, E-mail: reichert@zew.de  

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