Research at ZEW

ZEW conducts evidence-based economic policy research on a range of high-visibility topics, including the digital transformation, European integration, and the energy transition.

These are tackled by ZEW’s research units.

Current Publications

Refereed Journal // forthcoming

The Big Sell: Privatizing East Germany's Economy
Refereed Journal // forthcoming

Willingness to volunteer among remote workers is insensitive to the team size
Refereed Journal // forthcoming

Measuring the productivity effects of digital capital – A conceptual approach

Current projects

Laufende Projekte

  1. Project // 01.02.2025 – 31.01.2027

    The role of fiscal policy for monetary decision making in the ECB – Empirical diagnosis and monitoring ECB transparency

    The ECB has become a significant fiscal actor through its bond-purchase programs, which commenced in 2010 and culminated in the 2022 decision regarding the Transmission Protection Instrument (TPI). The Governing…

    01.02.2025 – 31.01.2027
    Corporate Taxation and Public Finance
  2. Project // 01.01. – 01.10.2025

    Bundesländerindex Stiftung Familienunternehmen 2025

    The current focus in the public evaluation of state governments and administrations lies on the services provided to citizens. However, this does not comprise whether and to what extent federal states perform with…

    01.01. – 01.10.2025
    Corporate Taxation and Public Finance
  3. Project // 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2028

    Enhanced understanding of Trade Impacts on Climate, Industries, and the Environment

    Despite the wide recognition of the complex interactions between trade (policy) and climate (policy), the state-of-the-art capabilities in macroeconomic models face substantial limitations, such as lack of…

    01.01.2025 – 31.12.2028
    Environmental and Climate Economics
  4. Project // 10.12.2024 – 30.06.2025

    Tax incentives and investment in the EU: best practices and ways to stimulate private investments and prevent harmful tax practices

    Governments worldwide increasingly rely on tax incentives to promote private R&D and innovation investment. Tax incentives make eligible investments financially advantageous to firms, aiming to drive growth, but…

    10.12.2024 – 30.06.2025
    Corporate Taxation and Public Finance
  5. Project // 01.12.2024 – 30.04.2025

    The Economic Contribution of Family Firms

    The majority of businesses in Germany are family businesses. The economic significance of family businesses and their special features compared to other businesses have been examined in recent years in studies by…

    01.12.2024 – 30.04.2025
    Economics of Innovation and Industrial...
  6. Project // 01.12.2024 – 30.09.2025

    Competition and Current Developments in Teaching and Knowledge Transfer by German Universities

    The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate current quantitative and qualitative developments in transfer activities within the German higher education landscape, with a particular focus on their performance…

    01.12.2024 – 30.09.2025
    Economics of Innovation and Industrial...