_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Z E W N E W S L E T T E R E N G L I S H E D I T I O N No. 2013-03 March 27, 2013 (Yvonne Braeutigam, newsletter-en at zew.de ) http://www.zew.eu _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Content 1. NEWS 2. CALL FOR PAPERS 2.1. Mannheim Energy Conference 2013 (June 25-26, 2013) 2.2. SEEK Workshop on Social Network Formation and Peer Effects (June 27-28, 2013) 2.3. Fourth Conference on Recent Developments in Macroeconomics (July 18-19, 2013) 3. STAFF 3.1. Awards 3.2. Visiting Researchers 4. PRESS RELEASES 5. RECENT PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISH 5.1. Financial Market Report Switzerland 5.2. Financial Market Report CEE 5.3. ZEW Discussion Papers 5.4. Expertises/Research Reports IN GERMAN 5.5. ZEWnews German Edition 5.6. ZEW Finanzmarktreport (ZEW Financial Market Report) 5.7. Deutscher Immobilien-Finanzierungsindex(DIFI)-Report (German Real Estate Finance Index (DIFI) Report) 5.8. Gutachten/Forschungsberichte (Expertises/Research Reports) 6. NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS 7. EVENTS 7.1. Scientific Events _____________________________________________________________________ 1. NEWS *** TOP NEWS *** Change of Presidency at ZEW: Outgoing President Wolfgang Franz Honoured with the German Federal Cross of Merit - Clemens Fuest Becomes New ZEW President: In a ceremony at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, long-standing ZEW President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz left office. Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest was inaugurated as his successor. Since March 1, 2013, he has been heading ZEW together with the Director of Business and Administration, Thomas Kohl. Read more and view the German video: http://www.zew.de/news2250 20.03.2013 Programme of the Third SEEK Conference "Engines for More and Better Jobs in Europe" now Available: The international research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies" (SEEK) at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is running successfully in its fourth year. ZEW is delighted to announce the programme for the third SEEK conference on "Engines for More and Better Jobs in Europe" on April 25-26, 2013. The conference will bring together international scientists and decision makers from the areas of politics, business and public administration to discuss how labour markets and welfare institutions should be reformed to meet the targets of the EU's strategy "Europe 2020" - inclusive growth providing more and better jobs. Highlights of the 2013 conference will be the policy keynote speech by Frank-Juergen Weise, Chairman of the Federal Employment Agency, and special lectures by distinguished scholars. The first conference day will be dedicated to a politico-economic debate. On the second conference day, researchers will present their research on the conference topic in a comprehensive programme of parallel sessions. For additional information, please visit the conference website: http://seek.zew.eu/events 07.03.2013 Q&A: Examining German Labour Market Reforms - The German "Mini-Job" Programme Should Be Eliminated: Since the start of 2013, marginal employees in Germany with so-called "mini-jobs" - i.e. positions that are not subject to social insurance contributions and income taxation - may earn an additional 50 euros per month, bringing their total deduction-free monthly earnings to 450 euros. With this change, the federal government has strengthened a labour market instrument that should, instead, have long been sent back to the testing laboratory, says ZEW labour economist Holger Bonin. Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2256 06.03.2013 ZEW President Clemens Fuest on Faustian Bargains: Last year, it was quite fashionable to compare the ECB's monetary policy to the Mephistophelean discovery of endlessly reproducible paper money in Faust. But current public opinion in the eurozone would seem to reflect a different passage from Goethe's tragedy: "O moment, I would like to say: stay a while, you are so lovely!" Many European politicians have proclaimed that the crisis is over, arguing that the ECB's promise to purchase unlimited quantities of eurozone debt has resulted in a turn for the better. What should we make of this storyline? Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2253 For current news, please visit: http://www.zew.de/news 2. CALL FOR PAPERS 2.1. Mannheim Energy Conference 2013 (June 25-26, 2013): The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and the Mannheim Centre for Competition and Innovation (MaCCI) are pleased to announce the Mannheim Energy Conference 2013 on June 24 and 25, 2013. Researchers and practitioners from various disciplines will discuss the lessons learned from more than 15 years of power market liberalisation in Europe. New opportunities and future challenges arising from European environmental targets will also be subjects of debate. Theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions from all areas of the economics of national and international energy markets are welcome. Interested researchers and practitioners are invited to submit a paper or an extended abstract (at least three pages) as PDF file to energy2013 at zew.de no later than April 15, 2013. Additional information and Call for Papers: http://www.zew.de/energy2013 2.2. SEEK Workshop on Social Network Formation and Peer Effects (June 27-28, 2013): The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is pleased to announce the SEEK workshop on "Social Network Formation and Peer Effects" in Mannheim, Germany, on June 27 and 28, 2013. The workshop objective is to exchange and discuss new findings, methods, and applications for the examination of social networks. Our goal is to bring together the latest trends in the analysis of networks from economics, information systems, marketing, and management. Theoretical and empirical contributions are welcome. Please submit full papers to engelstaetter at zew.de in PDF or MS Word format no later than April 22, 2013. The workshop is organised within the framework of the research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies" (SEEK) by ZEW. It is part of the SEEK project "Effects of Knowledge and Learning in Technology Adoption: Social Networks, Adoption, and Persistence in the Video Game Market". Additional information and Call for Papers: http://www.zew.de/socialnetwork2013 2.3. Fourth Conference on Recent Developments in Macroeconomics (July 18-19, 2013): The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and the University of Mannheim are jointly organising the fourth conference on "Recent Developments in Macroeconomics" in Mannheim, Germany, on July 18 and 19, 2013. Theoretical as well as empirical submissions are welcome. We particularly encourage the submission of papers addressing imbalances on capital and goods markets, labour markets, monetary policy in times of crises, financial stress, economic integration, international trade, and synchronization of business cycles. Submissions of papers in other areas are welcome, too. Authors are invited to submit extended abstracts including the following information: title, at least two JEL codes, name(s) of the author(s), affiliation, and contact information. Please submit contributions as PDF files to macro-conference at zew.de no later than May 1, 2013. Additional information and Call for Papers: http://www.zew.de/macroconference2013 3. STAFF 3.1. Awards ZEW Researcher Honoured with Best Paper Award: Paula Schliessler, researcher in the ZEW Research Department "Industrial Economics and International Management", was honoured with the Bent Dalum PhD Award 2013 at the DRUID Academy Conference in Aalborg, Denmark, in February 2013. The awarded paper entitled "The Effect of Patent Litigation on Firm Performance - Evidence for Germany" addresses the mechanisms of the German patent litigation system and analyses the impacts of several litigation outcomes on the parties involved. The paper is available for download at http://www.zew.de/publication6919 as ZEW Discussion Paper No. 13-015. Additional information on Paula Schliessler: http://www.zew.de/staff_psc ZEW Researcher Honoured with Best Paper Award: Sven Heim, researcher in the ZEW Research Group "Regulation and Competition", was honoured with the Best Paper Award at the 8th International Energy Industry Meeting (IEWT) in Vienna, Austria, in February 2013. The conference is considered the largest and most renowned conference on energy economics in the German-speaking world. An international jury awarded Heim's paper "Do Discriminatory Auctions Favour Collusive Behaviour? - Evidence from Germany's Market for Reserve Power". The paper analyses a dramatic price increase on the German market for reserve power which cannot be attributed to increasing costs alone. According to the results presented in the paper, the price increase is due to a strategic interaction between the two most powerful providers on the German market, who abuse the pay-as-bid rule. The paper thus provides new insights regarding the ideal design for auctions on energy markets. It will shortly be published as ZEW Discussion Paper. Additional information on Sven Heim: http://www.zew.de/staff_she 3.2. Visiting Researchers Prof. Grazia Cecere Visiting Researcher at ZEW: Grazia Cecere, Associate Professor at Telecom Ecole de Management in Paris, Institut Mines-Telecom, is visiting researcher at ZEW's Research Group "Information and Communication Technologies" from March to April 2013. During her stay she is working with ZEW researchers on the topic of Green IT and especially on eco innovation in the ICT sector. Additional information on Grazia Cecere: http://kind.wp.tem-tsp.eu/a-propos/les-enseignants-chercheurs/grazia-cecere Prof. Karen Turner Visiting Researcher at ZEW: Prof. Karen Turner, PhD, professor of economics at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, will be visiting researcher at ZEW's Research Department "Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management" from April 8-18, 2013. Her research focuses on the modeling of rebound effects in general equilibrium models. Karen Turner is also a board member of ZEW's REBOUND Project (http://kooperationen.zew.de/en/rebound) and will discuss first results with the project team during her stay. Additional information on Karen Turner: http://www.sml.hw.ac.uk/staff-directory/karen-turner.htm Dr. Rimawan Pradiptyo Visiting Researcher at ZEW: Dr. Rimawan Pradiptyo, lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia, visited the ZEW Research Department "Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management" on March 25, 2013. During his stay, he discussed current trends in game theory and experimental economics with ZEW researchers. Moreover, Rimawan Pradiptyo and ZEW researchers discussed options for future co-operation in Indonesia. Additional information Rimawan Pradiptyo: http://www.rimawan.staff.ugm.ac.id 4. PRESS RELEASES 21.03.2013 - ZEW (zil/ggr) ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - Positive Sentiment Strengthens: In March 2013 economic expectations for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) improved for the fourth time in a row. The ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe has increased by 13.6 points. It now stands at 49.9 points. This is the highest level of the indicator since October 2010. The debt crisis in the eurozone, especially in Cyprus, as well as the difficulties in the government formation in Italy apparently seem to have no major impact on the economic expectations for the CEE region up till now. The optimistic assessment of the economic situation of the CEE region is also reflected by the positive sentiment regarding the macroeconomic development of important CEE countries. Economic expectations increase by 33.8 points for the Czech Republic and by 22.3 points for Poland. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2269 20.03.2013 - ZEW/CS (lja/ggr) ZEW-CS Financial Market Test Switzerland - Economic Expectations Decline: The ZEW-CS Indicator of economic expectations for Switzerland has been rising for several months in a row - in March 2013, it is declining for the first time since October 2012. The indicator decreases by 7.7 points to a level of 2.3 points, thereby stabilising close to the neutral level of zero. This development suggests that the analysts surveyed expect a stable economic situation until this year's third quarter. The ZEW-CS Indicator is calculated monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in cooperation with Credit Suisse (CS). The indicator reflects the expectations of the surveyed financial market experts regarding the economic development in Switzerland on a six-month time horizon. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2263 19.03.2013 - ZEW (cdi/fmo/kbo) ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment - Experts Remain Optimistic: The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has increased by 0.3 points in March 2013. The indicator now stands nearly unchanged at a level of 48.5 points. Hence, after three substantial increases between December 2012 and February 2013, the indicator has stabilised in March at a respectable level. The political situation in Italy and the rescue package for Cyprus increased the risk for the eurozone debt crisis to worsen again. These development have possibly contributed to the fact that the indicator did not increase substantially this month. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2261 15.03.2013 - ZEW/ProgTrans (che/eje) ZEW/ProgTrans Survey Among Transport Market Experts - Stable Transport Volumes Leave Small Scope for Price Increases: In the coming six months, transport volumes will remain broadly stable in the German transport sector, thereby leaving a relatively small margin for price increases in this period of time. In most transport sectors, prices will rise only slightly or remain on their current level. The only sector that faces significant increases in transport demand and prices is intercontinental air and sea freight. These are the findings of the ProgTrans/ZEW TransportmarktBarometer (Transport Market Barometer) in the first quarter of 2013. In this survey, ProgTrans AG in Basel and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim interview some 250 top executives from the transport and loading industry on a quarterly basis about their assessment regarding the development of transport markets and prices on a six-month horizon. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2259 13.03.2013 - ZEW (jfr/ggr) Older Employees - Staying Longer in Companies with Mixed-Age Teams: Appropriately equipped workplaces, reduced working hours and performance requirements, mixed-age work teams, general training, specific training as well as part-time work for older employees: these are some of the measures more and more companies rely on in order to retain older employees. The companies' efforts are increasing against the background of demographic ageing and the foreseeable shortage of skilled labour. A study conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim is now putting these measures to the test for the first time. One of the study's results is that mixed-age work teams are the only measure leading to a longer employment period. Part-time work, on the contrary, is apparently even reducing the employment period of older staff, and all the other measures listed above have no influence at all on older employees' decisions to stay with their company. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2258 12.03.2013 - ZEW (kvo/ggr) More than Half of all Patent Infringement Litigations End Without a Verdict: In the last 15 years, some 600 patent infringement litigations were heard in Germany each year. This is the highest number in Europe, and it is largely due to the combination of relatively low costs and quick, reliable court decisions. Interestingly, however, clearly more than half of these lawsuits end without a verdict because the parties involved agree to a settlement or drop the case after the beginning of the court proceedings. A study conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim explains the reasons for this phenomenon: the setting of an unexpectedly high value in litigation, which includes the risk of high legal expenses for the losing party; the danger of a revocation action brought before the German Federal Patent Court, which could threat the monopoly position of the patentee; the approximation of the claimant's and the defendant's expectations regarding the outcome of the trial due to external experts' assessments before the court. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2257 For current press releases, please visit: http://www.zew.de/en/presse 5. RECENT PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISH 5.1. Financial Market Report Switzerland Financial Market Report Switzerland April 2013 * Economic Outlook for Switzerland: Stabilizing Close to Zero * Current Economic Situation: Stable Assessment * Inflation Expectations: Majority Expects Stable Inflation * Interest Rates: Impact of Italian Elections? * Stock Market: Optimism Prevails * Swiss Franc Versus Euro: Depreciation Expectations Recede * Special Questions: Long-Term Forecasts Download as PDF file(*) (reference is given at the end of "RECENT PUBLICATIONS"): http://www.zew.de/FinancialMarketReportSwitzerland042013.pdf 5.2. Financial Market Report CEE Financial Market Report CEE April 2013 * Positive Economic Sentiments for the CEE Region Strengthen * Economic Outlook for the CEE Region, Austria, and the Eurozone * Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia: Economic Sentiments Improved * Croatia, Hungary, and Romania: Bullish Stock Market Sentiments * Turkey: Economic Sentiments Strengthen * Special Question: Competitive Advantages of the CEE Region Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/fmt_cee/FMTCEE042013.pdf 5.3. ZEW Discussion Papers 13-016 Friedrich Heinemann; Steffen Osterloh; Alexander Kalb Sovereign Risk Premia: The Link Between Fiscal Rules and Stability Culture Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13016.pdf 13-015 Paula Schliessler The Effect of Patent Litigation on Firm Performance - Evidence for Germany Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13015.pdf 13-014 Richard Kneller; Florian Misch The Effects of Public Spending Composition on Firm Productivity Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13014.pdf 13-013 Daniel Cerquera; Gordon Jochem Klein Intermediate Input Markets, ICT, and Innovation in Germany: A Firm Level Analysis Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13013.pdf 13-012 Florian Misch; Norman Gemmell; Richard Kneller Using Surveys of Business Perceptions as a Guide to Growth-Enhancing Fiscal Reforms Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13012.pdf 13-011 Gunnar Lang; Michael Schroeder Do we Need a Separate Banking System? An Assessment Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13011.pdf 13-010 Christof Ernst; Katharina Richter; Nadine Riedel Corporate Taxation and the Quality of Research and Development Download as PDF file(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp13010.pdf 5.4. Expertises/Research Reports Francesco Bosello, Nicola Lamaddalena, Daniel Osberghaus, and Consuelo Varela Ortega (2013), Perspectives in Resource Management and Climate Change Adaptation in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, European Commission, FP7, Brussels. Additional information and download: http://www.zew.de/publication6931 IN GERMAN 5.5. ZEWnews German Edition The ZEWnews April 2013 German edition contains articles on: * Retirement Ceremony for Wolfgang Franz - Clemens Fuest New ZEW President * Older Employees in Mixed-Aged Teams Stay Longer with their Company * External Rating of Less Importance for the Credit Access of Young Start-ups * Long-Term Growth Effects Due to Stronger Labour Market Participation of Older Employees * Question & Answer: Mini-Jobs Could Be a Trap * The Separation of Retail and Investment Banking Makes only a Small Contribution to Reducing Systemic Risk * Germany between the Poles of Success and Euro Crisis * Opinion: ZEW President Clemens Fuest on Faustian Bargains Download as PDF file (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/zn/zn0313.pdf The German issue contains the additional feature "Innovations" which is made up of the following articles: * Large Companies Account for Spending Dynamics * Innovators Rate Decreased * Less Sales with Markets Novelties * Number of Companies with Continuous R&D Decreases Slightly * Little Innovation Success of East-German Industry Download as PDF (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/zn/schwerpunkte/innovation/Innovationen0313.pdf 5.6. ZEW Finanzmarktreport (ZEW Financial Market Report) ZEW Financial Market Report April 2013 * Financial Market Experts Remain Optimistic * ECB: Inflation Expectations Remain Constant * USA: Economic Expectations Nearly Unchanged * Japan: Economic Expectations Keep Increasing * Great Britain: Economic Situation Remains Weak * Special Question: Diversification Potential of Different Asset Classes Download as PDF file (in German)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/frep/042013.pdf 5.7. Deutscher Immobilien-Finanzierungsindex(DIFI)-Report (German Real Estate Finance Index (DIFI) Report) DIFI Report First Quarter - 2013 * Significant Improvement with Financing of Commercial Real Estates * Recovery at the Refinancing Markets Continues * Special Question: Do Interest Rates Remain Low? Download as PDF file (in German)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/DIFI/DIFI032013.pdf 5.8. Gutachten/Forschungsberichte (Expertises/Research Reports) Sandra Gottschalk and Georg Licht (2013), Finanzierung von jungen Unternehmen durch externes Eigenkapital in Deutschland. Auswertungen aus dem Mannheimer Unternehmenspanel (MUP) (Financing of Young Firms by External Equity in Germany. Evaluations from the Mannheim Enterprise Panel (MUP)), Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Mannheim. Additional information and download (in German): http://www.zew.de/publikation6916 (*) Please note: PDF files can be displayed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. The software can be downloaded for free: http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader 6. NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS Strategic Trade Policy and Critical Raw Materials in the Stainless Steel Sector http://www.zew.de/project1286 What Determines the Demand for Mobile Applications: The Role of Access Permissions http://www.zew.de/project1285 7. EVENTS 7.1. Scientific Events 10.04.2013 ZEW Research Seminar: IP Migration - Tax Planning and Tax Policy Speaker: Mauritz von Einem (Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1789 10.04.2013 Workshop: Second KIT-ZEW Workshop on the Economics of Science Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1804 11.04.2013 Mannheim Competition Policy Forum: Antitrust Penalties and Empirical Evidence on Cartel Overcharges Speaker: David Ulph (University of St. Andrews) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1793 11.04.2013 ZEW Research Seminar: Explaining Job Polarisation in Europe Speaker: Assistant Prof. Dr. Anna Salomons (Utrecht University) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1795 11.-12.04.2013 Conference: Fiscal Performance: The Role of Institutions and Politicians Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1762 25.04.2013 Mannheim Competition Policy Forum: Rail Regulation - Cost Control Between Corporate Interests, Competition, and Transport Policy Speaker: Prof. Dr. Karsten Otte (Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1806 25.-26.04.2013 Conference: 3rd SEEK Conference: Engines for More and Better Jobs in Europe Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://seek.zew.eu/en/seek/events/conferences/3rd-seek-conference.html ____________________________________________________________________ IMPRINT Publisher: Centre for European Economic Research GmbH (ZEW) L 7, 1 - 68161 Mannheim - Germany - http://www.zew.eu Phone +49 621/1235-01 Fax +49 621/1235-255 Seat of the company: Mannheim - Local Court Mannheim HRB 6554 Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board: Theresia Bauer, MdL, Minister of Science, Research, and the Arts of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg Executive Directors: Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest, Thomas Kohl Editors: Yvonne Braeutigam, yvonne.braeutigam at zew.de ; Patrick Pilarek, pilarek at zew.de E-mail: newsletter-en at zew.de Editorial assistants: Julia Glashauser; Sebastian Kreimes Responsibility: Gunter Grittmann, grittmann at zew.de Legal note: http://www.zew.eu/legalnote You can subscribe/unsubscribe at any time - online via http://www.zew.eu/newsletter or - mail to zew-newsletter-englishedition-request at mx-assp2.zew.de Subject: (leave blank!) Text: subscribe zew-newsletter-englishedition or unsubscribe zew-newsletter-englishedition _____________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * *Messages sorted by:* [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ More information about the Zew-newsletter-englishedition mailing list