ZEW Discussion Papers

Many natural resources involve threshold effects. Using these resources beyond a tipping point can have disastrous consequences for the environment and human well-being. Prominent examples are related to…

Academic institutions are an important component of the public agricultural research system in many countries. According to the "open science" model of research, these institutions produce new knowledge,…

While most economists believe that public scientific research fuels industry innovation and economic growth, systematic evidence supporting this relationship is surprisingly limited. In a recent study, Acemoglu…

Exchange rates are one of the most important prices in open economies. Despite their great importance for many enterprises, surprisingly little is known about the economic factors influencing the ups and downs…

Every year, secondary school graduates have to choose a university. This is a crucial decision for their future trajectories made under imperfect information. Therefore, quality indicators like university…

It is a common belief that more information about climate change will lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon and to an increase of prevention measures, such as insurance for natural hazards. To test…

The importance of market entry for competition and innovation is largely undisputed in the field of industrial organisation. Following the well-known methodology of Paul Geroski (1991, 1995), this importance is…

In most industrialised countries, the average age of the workforce has been growing rapidly during the recent years. If ageing workforces affect economic sectors differently, then the total impact of ageing…

Distinct settings of labor market institutions like the employment protection or the unemployment benefitt system have attracted considerable attention as a potential explanation for differences in the…