2014 ZEW Annual Report Published: ZEW Maintains Strong Position in International Competition

The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) stood its ground in national and international competition in 2014 with a total revenue of about EUR 20 million. The institute successfully reinforced its reputation as an excellent research location. Despite the huge competitive pressure due to European-wide calls for proposals, the research institute considerably increased the share of research contracts awarded by the EU Commission. Projects commissioned by the European Union formed almost 25 per cent of ZEW's third-party funding volume (a total of EUR 9.2 million) in 2014.

Regarding scientific contributions, ZEW researchers were very productive in the year under report. This is reflected in the high volume of funding received from the German Research Foundation (DFG), but also in the activities of ZEW researchers: They held a total of 411 presentations at conferences, 230 of which took place abroad, and published 91 articles in renowned international peer-reviewed journals as well as 151 contributions in print media.

The launch of the ZEW Lunch Debate series in Brussels, which provides a platform for committed discussion of European topics four to five times a year, has been met with outstanding response. The series will therefore continue in 2015.

ZEW's "Visiting Researchers Programme" (VRP) considerably benefits the institute's international visibility. The programme is yet another contribution to the expansion of international scientific networks by the research institute.

Within the framework of VRP, 416 visiting researchers from 49 EU and non-EU countries were engaged in ZEW research work in 2014, with the majority of them coming from the US (90 visiting researchers), the UK (50), Italy (34), France (24), and the Netherlands (20). Researchers visiting the Mannheim institute also came from China (17), Israel (7) and Brazil (2).

ZEW's competitiveness is not least reflected in the share of external funding. In the fiscal year of 2014, ZEW was able to collect additional third-party funds. The share of external financing including other revenues rose from 46 per cent in 2013 to 47 per cent.

ZEW also increased its total revenues to approximately EUR 20 million (2013: EUR 18.8 million), of which about EUR 9.2 million were secured through third-party funding (2013: EUR 8.5 million). The most important clients in terms of third-party funding are German and foreign government agencies, e.g. from Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland, making up 49 per cent of the ZEW client base. The European Commission has a share of 23 per cent.

Taken together, the share of third-party funds from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and other foundations amounts to ten per cent in 2014. Other important third-party clients include enterprises, associations, and research institutions with a share of nine per cent, respectively. "We are well-positioned and, in terms of third-party funding, ZEW is way out in front despite stiff international competition," says Thomas Kohl, Director of Business and Administration at ZEW.

By the end of the year 2014, 130 staff members were engaged in research at ZEW - the same number as in the previous year. At that moment, the total number of employees had grown to 197 (end of 2013: 191).

In 2014, an almost unsurpassed number of 15 researchers completed their doctoral theses, many of them "summa cum laude". In addition, one ZEW researcher successfully completed her habilitation thesis.

During the reporting period, the share of female researchers increased to 31 per cent (2013: 28 per cent). Across all of ZEW, 44 per cent of staff is female (2013: 41 per cent). The share of female senior researchers at the institute, i.e. researchers with a doctorate, partly in leading positions, is 45 per cent.

The ZEW public relations department will be pleased to send you a printed version of the 2014 Annual Report: info@zew.de

For more information please contact

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