1. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-097 // 2013

    The German Labour Market Reforms in a European Context: A DSGE Analysis

    While a widespread consensus exists among macroeconomists that the German labour market reforms in 2003-2005 have successfully contributed to the decline of the unemployment rate, critics claim that the reforms…

  2. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-096 // 2013

    Does Fragmented or Heterogeneous IP Ownership Stifle Investments in Innovation?

    The effectiveness of patents to stimulate R&D is often limited. If innovation is sequential and complementary, patent protection may even stifle technical advance (Bessen and Maskin, 2006). The surge of…

  3. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-095 // 2013

    External Capital Access and New Product Launch in Start-Up Firms with Uncertain Intellectual Property Rights

    For innovative start-ups, an effective patent system is a crucial factor for success and survival. The importance of patents for start-ups is based on two features. First, patents grant temporary monopoly rights…

  4. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-094 // 2013

    Sources of Value Creation Through Private Equity-backed Mergers and Acquisitions: The Case of Buy-and-Build Strategies

    Private equity (PE) firms have long time emphasized their role as investors who create value in their portfolio companies. In this paper we analyze a key strategy of PE investors, the so-called buy-and-build…

  5. Non-Refereed Journal // 2013

    Der deutsche Strommarkt im Umbruch: Zur Notwendigkeit einer Marktordnung aus einem Guss

    The German electricity market is changing fundamentally as renewable energy replaces conventional sources. Simultaneously, regional imbalances between generation and consumption are appearing. The authors sketch…

  6. Refereed Journal // 2013

    The Short- and Long-term Effects of School Choice on Student Outcomes — Evidence from a School Choice Reform in Sweden

    This paper evaluates the effects of a major Swedish school choice reform. The reform in 1992 increased school choice and competition among public schools as well as through a large-scale introduction of private…

  7. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-093 // 2013

    Job Machine, Think Tank, or Both – What Makes Corporate Spinoffs Different?

    Start-ups are a vehicle to transfer knowledge and technology within an economy. The way in which this occurs is that founders of start-ups pick up ideas that otherwise would have been neglected and bring them to…

  8. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-092 // 2013

    Estimation of Sectoral Elasticities of Substitution Along the International Technology Frontier

    Sectoral heterogeneity is crucial to address several economic questions. This pap er provides a detailed mapping of sectoral pro duction p ossibility frontiers, using different nesting structures and levels of…

  9. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-091 // 2013

    Prospect Theory, Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change

    Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges in current environmental policy. Appropriate policies intended to stimulate efficient adaptation and mitigation should not exclusively rely on the assumption…

  10. Discussion and Working Paper // 2013

    The Short- and Long-term Effects of School Choice on Student Outcomes — Evidence from a School Choice Reform in Sweden

    This paper evaluates the effects of a major Swedish school choice reform. The reform in 1992 increased school choice and competition among public schools as well as through a large-scale introduction of private…