ZEW Discussion Papers

In recent years, the view of patents as a policy tool to stimulate R&D has increasingly come under criticism. The theoretical literature has shown that when research is sequential and builds upon previous…

Deep-seated capabilities formed in early childhood, a period of dramatic growth and need for intensive interaction with an "invested adult", may have long-term implications for human development and personality.…

Deregulation and privatization of public utilities in grid-based industries raises the question on how to provide an efficient access to the network infrastructure to entering service providers. Often the…

The traditional argument that shorter product cycles favor trade secrets over patenting is based on the presumption that copying becomes less pro table and trade secrets less likely to be discovered when a…

Downward rigid wages are of major importance in economic policy and are severely discussed in the public. Especially in Germany, where the nominal wage level is above that of its main international competitors,…

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) content in food products has been the object of controversial debates in several countries for more than a decade. Opponents warn against potential dangers to the…

In March 2007, the European Council has agreed upon ambitious climate and energy policy targets for the period after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in the year 2012. It envisages reducing greenhouse gas…

Individuals who want to become entrepreneurs need to spend time on an important aspect: risk. They risk not only their financial well-being, their career, their family relations, but also their physical…

Many school-leavers enter the labour market via temporary employment. As employers could exploit the weak bargaining position of job starters, fixed-term contracts at the beginning of the labour market career…