“Optimal performance of markets and institutions in Europe” rings in the air here at the ZEW Leibniz-Zentrum f\u00fcr Europ\u00e4ische Wirtschaftsforschung. We stand before a place dedicated to facts and figures. It is a place that helps shape the economic future.
The ZEW was founded in 1990. It started its work in April 1991. The state government of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg helped create it. So did the local economy and the University of Mannheim. Since then the ZEW has become a leading economic research institute in Germany. It also has a great reputation in Europe.
The ZEW is more than just a research center. It is a non-profit organization. It operates as a limited liability company. The ZEW is part of the Leibniz Association.
What makes the ZEW special? It offers policy-relevant economic research and scientifically sound policy advice. The ZEW strives to benefit society through science. Its research focuses on topics like digitalization, innovation, taxes, and climate protection. The ZEW wants to know how markets and institutions in Europe should work.
The ZEW has two main goals. It aims for policy-relevant research. It also seeks to provide scientifically sound policy advice. The research at ZEW is divided into several units. These include topics like pensions, labor markets, digital economy and health markets. They also cover innovation, markets, social issues, taxes, and the environment.
How does the ZEW fund its work? A large part comes from institutional funding. This is provided by the federal and state governments. The rest comes from research projects funded by third parties. These include the European Commission, ministries, companies and foundations.
The ZEW also has support from the F\u00f6rderkreis Wissenschaft und Praxis am ZEW e.V. Its members include well-known regional and national companies. They also include individuals from the business world and society.
The ZEW is committed to good scientific practice. It has guidelines to ensure this. It also has an ethics committee. This committee advises researchers on ethical standards for their projects. The ZEW signed the WIN-Charta in 2017. It is committed to economic, ecological, and social responsibility. The ZEW documents its contributions to sustainability in an annual report.
The ZEW uses many communication channels. It shares its research results. It aims to reach its target groups effectively. Regular interviews and large-scale annual studies are conducted by the ZEW.
The ZEW is led by Achim Wambach and Thomas Kohl. It employs many people in research departments and service areas. The ZEW promotes international cooperation. It encourages ongoing staff development. The German Council of Science and Humanities has recognized the high quality of ZEW’s research work.
The Leibniz Association Senate stated that ZEW is an extraordinarily successful institute. The ZEW provides external scientists with a range of research data sets. The ZEW research data offered at ZEW-FDZ is individual data collected through ZEW business surveys and ZEW expert surveys.
As we conclude our visit to the ZEW, remember its commitment to shaping a better economic future for Europe. Its research is not just academic. It is designed to make a real difference in the world.