German Institute for Economic Research

Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW)

Established	1925
Executive Board	Marcel Fratzscher, Gert G. Wagner, Cornelius Richter
Faculty	Economics, Social Science
Staff	185
Location	Berlin, Germany
Address	Mohrenstrasse 58 10117 Berlin Germany
Website	http://www.diw.de/

The German Institute for Economic Research (German: Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, or DIW Berlin) is one of the leading economic research institutes in Germany. It is an independent, non-profit academic institution which is involved in basic research and policy advice. DIW Berlin was originally founded in 1925 as Institute for Business Cycle Research and was later renamed to its current name.

DIW Berlin presents its research results in science journals, within the scope of national and international scientific events as well as at workshops, symposia and colloquia. The research results provide a basis for the exchange of ideas among experts and other relevant groups. Current economic and structural data, forecasts and advices as well as services in the area of quantitative economics are provided to decision makers in economics and policy and the broad public. DIW Berlin endues a target group specific range of publications, events and data sources. Furthermore, the research results meet with major response in media.

Leadership and Bodies

The legal status of DIW Berlin is that of a registered association. The association's bodies are the Members, the Board of Trustees, the Executive Board and the Scientific Advisory Board. To date, there are 185 employees, 102 of them being researchers.

Executive board

• Prof. Marcel Fratzscher, Ph.D.
• Prof. Dr. Gert G. Wagner
• Dr. Cornelius Richter, LL.M.

Department heads

Research Departments

• Prof. Marcel Fratzscher, Ph.D., Macroeconomics
• Dr. Ferdinand Fichtner, Forecasting and Economic Policy
• Dr. Kati Schindler, Development and Security
• Prof. Dr. Peter Haan, Public Economics
• Prof. Dr. Pio Baake, Competition and Consumers
• Prof. Dr. Tomaso Duso, Innovation, Manufacturing, Service
• Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert, Energy, Transportation and Environment
• Prof. Karsten Neuhoff, Ph.D., Climate Policy
• Prof. Dr. C. Katharina Spieß, Education Policy
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schupp, Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)

Service Departments

• Communication
• Information Technology
• Library
• Management Services
• Office Management
• Legal Department and Human Resources

Research Departments of DIW Berlin

The Institute is divided into eight Research Departments, which are:

• The Department of Macroeconomics conducts theoretical and empirical analyses of economic relationships and policies at the national and international level

• The Department Forecasting and Economic Policy analyzes current economic policy issues and provides relevant public policy advice

• The Department Development and Security analyzes global challenges facing the world economy

• The unifying research theme of the Department of Public Economics is how the various policy instruments of the welfare state, such as taxes, transfers, the provision of public services, and government regulations, affect the allocation of resources and the distribution of incomes

• The research program of the Department of Competition and Consumers analyzes economic policy measures and how they can enhance market efficiency

• The Department of Innovation, Manufacturing, Service analyzes the development of manufacturing industries, service industries and their respective markets in an international context. The central question is which kinds of production have especially high potential for development in Germany and which ones will decrease in importance.

• The Department of Energy, Transportation and Environment focuses on two main economic challenges, namely on environmentally friendly, sustainable development and on the regulation of infrastructure sectors.

• The Department Climate Policy uses empirical analysis and international comparisons to evaluate the design and effectiveness of policies that governments use to achieve low-carbon growth.

• The Department Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) is an Infrastructure Facility of the Leibniz Society (WGL) affiliated to DIW Berlin. The main task of the SOEP is planning, carrying out, and editing the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). This wide-ranging longitudinal survey started in 1984 and currently covers about 23,000 individuals living in more than 12,000 private households.

Graduate Center (CG)

Since 2006 the Graduate Center of DIW, the GC, offers about 15 scholarships per year for PhD-positions in Economics in cooperation with Berlin's largest Universities Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin and Technical University of Berlin. The Graduate Center is located within the building of DIW in the Center of Berlin. Academic research of GC PhD-students focuses on applied topics.The four-year program is divided into two parts: while students receive academic training in economics and related social sciences during the first year, in year two to four on-the-job training in DIW research projects leads them to their doctoral thesis. Application period is between January and March.

Co-operations

A broad range of predominantly external Research Directors, Research Professors and Research Affiliates research along with the employees of DIW Berlin. They co-operate for a specific time, perform cross sectional tasks, care about scientific surveys (such as diploma thesis, dissertations) and release important pulses for the institute.

Financing

More than half of the Institute's budget is derived from public grants, which DIW Berlin receives as research funding from the State of Berlin and the Federal Government in equal parts. This sum is supplemented by income from projects, research contracts with third parties, trustee memberships and donations. Because of its financial structure DIW Berlin is member of the Leibniz Association (WGL).

Publications

Dissemination of information is fundamental to DIW Berlin. As a leading economic research institute, it seeks to supply the wider public with up-to-date economic and structural data, forecasts, research reports, and services in the field of quantitative economics. Research results are presented in the Institute's own publications and in publications edited in co-operation with the Institute.

Economic Situation Forecasts

Forecasts about current and future trends in Germany, EU and world economy are published on a regular basis by DIW Berlin.

Publications

Wochenbericht

Readily available, condensed information on current economic policy issues. Published weekly in German (Wochenbericht des DIW Berlin).

DIW Economic Bulletin

The DIW Economic Bulletin is a DIW Berlin online publication. At irregular intervals selected articles of the Wochenbericht are being published online in English..

Quarterly Journal of Economic Research

Each issue concentrates on a topic relevant to the current economic policy debate. It includes detailed information on research findings and their methodological basis.

Discussion papers

The papers are presenting pre-publications of research results.

DIW Berlin: Policy Advice Compact DIW Berlin furnishes opinions for the Federal Government of Germany, the Commission of the European Union, the Ministries of Federal and State Governments, political parties, interest groups and associations, and the social partners. In the series “DIW Berlin: Policy Advice Compact” these research reports will be published.

Applied Economics Quarterly (Konjunkturpolitik)

Applied Economics Quarterly is an international journal publishing empirical research on issues with relevance for all areas of economic policy. AEQ is published four times a year in English.

DIW Berlin Events

Industrial Conference

The Industrial Conference is the traditional institutionalised forum for exchange between the DIW Berlin and the business sector. Since October 1960, the forum has met twice a year - May and November. Approximately one hundred representatives of enterprises, business associations and economic sciences participate regularly. Since the Federal Government moved to Berlin, the conference has been attracting increasing numbers of participants from politics. The conference understands itself to be a platform for dialogs on different viewpoints and opinions.

Lunchtime Meetings

The Berlin Lunchtime Meetings are a joint series of monthly expert talks hosted by the Center of Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Institute for the Study of Labour (IZA). The seminars serve as a platform for leading European and international researchers to address important policy issues, and as a forum for debate and discussion among researchers, policy makers and the private sector.

History

1925 In July 1925 Ernst Wagemann founds DIW Berlin, which is originally called Institute for Business Cycle Research, and becomes the first President.

1928 In the context of the Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, Arthur Hanau publishes his dissertation „The phenomenon of cyclical development” and becomes head of the agricultural market research in Germany. Using his concept of the „Pork Cycle“ is still a popular way of explaining students of economics the relationship between demand and supply.

1933-1945 During the Nazi Regime, Ernst Wagemann is removed from his office. He is questioned several times by the Gestapo and even arrested for a while in 1942. By the end of 1943, the Institute for Business Cycle Research, now renamed in German Institute for Economic Research, is partially relocated to Feldberg, Mecklenburg.

1945 Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Friedensburg takes on being the President of the German Institute for Economic Research until 1968. Now, after the war, the main focus of economic research lies upon economic issues within the city of Berlin.

1950 The first Wochenbericht after the war is published, covering a detailed report about „Germany´ s economic situation at the end of 1945”.

1956 The German Institute for Economic Research moves into its new building in Koenigin-Luise-Straße.

1960 For the first time, the so-called “Grundlinien der Wirtschaftsentwicklung”, forecasts about current and future trends in Germany, EU and world economy, are published. They are referring to the year of 1961.

1968 Dr. Klaus Dieter Arndt becomes new President of the German Institute for Economic Research.

1972 Newly established departments are the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Finance and the Department of Money and Capital Markets.

1975 Dr. Karl Koenig takes on being new the President of the German Institute for Economic Research.

1979 The German Institute for Economic Research publishes the Wochenbericht „Eine mittelfristige Strategie zur Wiedergewinnung der Vollbeschaeftigung“, proposing strategies for re-establishing full employment in Germany. Taking this report into account, the federal government derives a programme for future investment in year 1977-1980, one of the very few programmes which consequence is a noticeable drop in German unemployment rates. Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Krupp becomes new President of the German Institute for Economic Research.

1989 The Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) is now part of the German Institute for Economic Research. The main focus of the service institution SOEP is on basic research and scientific services. The Socio-Economic Panel regularly surveys 10,000 private households in a representative longitudinal study. The data acquired is analysed within and outside the German Institute for Economic Research, the results are then used for the analysis of income and labour force developments.

1990 The German Institute for Economic Research clearly disapproves a monetary union with the former GDR. In the case of a monetary union, the only way for the GDR to compensate their difference in productivity would be a significant decrease of the wage level. A unification of wage levels would lead to mass dismissals and enormous business shutdowns. The GDR people would become welfare recipients of the Federal Republic of Germany.

1994 On behalf of Greenpeace, the German Institute for Economic Research analyses the economic consequences of an ecological fiscal reform. The model of ecotax, short for ecological taxation, has been enacted in Germany by means of three laws in following years.

2000 Prof. Dr. Klaus F. Zimmermann becomes new President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin). From now on, there are seven Research Departments. Thus, DIW Berlin is able to react flexible to new respective current economic and social political topics. Main focus of economic research is now lying upon information society and competition, public economics and innovation. The Institute also aims at increasing its number of international cooperations and its participiation in research networks worldwide.

Presidents

1925 – 1945 Ernst Wagemann

1945 – 1968 Ferdinand Friedensburg

1968 – 1974 Klaus-Dieter Arndt

1975 – 1979 Karl Koenig

1979 – 1988 Hans-Jürgen Krupp

1988 – 1999 Lutz Hoffmann

2000 – 2011 Klaus F. Zimmermann

2011 - 2013 Gert G. Wagner

2013 - now Marcel Fratzscher

Literature

• Silke Anger. Overtime Work in Germany. The Investment Character of Unpaid Hours, Shaker 2006.
• Rainer Winkelmann, Klaus F. Zimmermann, Can Germany Stand up to International Locational Competition? Duncker und Humblot 2005.
• Klaus F. Zimmermann, European Migration: What Do We Know? Oxford University Press. Oxford/New York 2005.
• Marco Caliendo, Microeconometric Evaluation of Labour Market Policies, Springer, 2005.
• Brigitte Preissl, Harry Bouwman, and Charles Steinfield, E-Life after the Dot Com Bust, Physica-Verlag, 2004.
• Janet Zollinger Giele and Elke Holst: Changing Life Patterns in Western Industrial Societies (Advances in Life Course Research). 2003.

See also

• Homepage of DIW Berlin