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Gunter Grittmann
Head of Information and Communication
E-mail: grittmann@zew.de
Phone: +49 (0)621-1235-132
Fax: +49 (0)621-1235-255
Kathrin Böhmer
Public Relations Officer
E-mail: boehmer@zew.de
Phone: +49 (0)621-1235-103
Fax: +49 (0)621-1235-225
Economic expectations for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) have increased by 9.2 points in May 2012. Consequently, the ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator CEE currently manoeuvres at 14.6 points. The economic sentiment indicator for the CEE region and further financial market data have been surveyed monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, with the support of Erste Group Bank, Vienna, since 2007. read more
Economic expectations for Switzerland have dropped by 6.1 points in May 2012. Thus, the ZEW-CS Indicator currently manoeuvres at the minus 4.0 points-mark. 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
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has decreased by 12.6 points to a level of 10.8 points in May 2012. Thus, the indicator has deteriorated for the first time after registering five consecutive increases. read more
On Thursday April 26, 2012, started the three-day meeting of about 200 young economists at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim. They take part in the "Spring Meeting of Young Economists" (SMYE). The conference is organised on an annual basis "by young economists for young economists" and takes place in different European countries. read more
In the business year 2011, the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) was able to significantly increase its overall returns by approx. 2.6 million euros to 18.2 million euros. In particular third-party funding contributed to this success with an increase of 2.1 million euros. This information is provided by the recently published institute's annual report. read more
Qualification phase-students from Schwetzingen Business Secondary School (Wirtschaftsgymnasium Schwetzingen) visited the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim in the context of the Baden-Württemberg Sustainability Days. On Friday, April 20, researchers from the ZEW Research Department "Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management" informed the students and their economic geography teachers about the connections between economics and sustainable climate protection. read more
After a slight recovery during the fourth quarter of 2011, the economic sentiment within the information economy has again tarnished slightly during the first quarter of 2012. The Economic Sentiment Indicator for the Information Economy drops by 3.2 points to 58.4 points during the first quarter. But, with a value of more than 50 points, it still indicates a positive development. This is the finding of the economy survey conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany, in March 2012 within the information economy sector. read more
After a weak winter half year, the German economy is on the rise again. The institutes forecast an increase of the real GDP by 0.9 per cent for 2012 and by 2.0 per cent for 2013. The situation on the labour market will improve further and the number of unemployed persons will decrease to 2.8 million in 2012. read more
Economic expectations for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) have declined by 11.2 points in April 2012. Consequently, the ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator CEE currently manoeuvres at the 5.4 points-mark. This reverses to some extent the indicator's major increase displayed in the previous month (March 2012: up 36.1 points). The economic sentiment indicator for the CEE region and further financial market data have been surveyed monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) with the support of Erste Group Bank, Vienna, since 2007. read more
Reaching the 2.1 points-mark in April 2012, economic sentiment for Switzerland manoeuvres at a slightly higher level compared to the March reading. Due to this month’s improvement by 2.1 points the ZEW-CS Indicator stabilises at positive territory. 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
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has increased by 1.1 points to a level of 23.4 points in April 2012. Thus, the indicator has risen for the fifth consecutive time. read more
Internet shopping is becoming more and more popular. On price comparison sites users can obtain helpful advice, where to find the best price. A recent study conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim and the University of Linz shows that price comparisons are worth the effort. The study is part of the ZEW research programme "Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies"(SEEK). read more
An increasing number of concluded mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be expected until the end of 2012 in Germany. This is the result of a forecast by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany. ZEW calculates the M&A Index for Germany (further information at the bottom of the press release) on the basis of Bureau van Dijk’s database, and forecasts its further course for the next 12 months. read more
Quality vocational education pays off for young professionals who stay with their training companies, as has been shown over and over. According to new insights, however, young professionals who change to a new company directly after their training period can benefit as well: from a good training quality and from a strict selection of trainees by their training company. This is an important finding since employees who change to a new company directly after their vocational training are frequently suspected of having a below-average performance. A notably worse payment compared to professionals who stay with their training company is the immediate consequence of this presumption. Some of the young professionals who change to a new company manage to avoid severe cuts in payment since they are able to convince the new company of having had an excellent vocational education. The new employers usually take a close look on the quality of the training firms and accordingly adjust their payment offers. They might for example reward applicants if they had been trained in a large company, if their former companies paid their trainees relatively high wages , and if their former companies had works councils supervising the quality of the vocational education. These factors contribute to an increase of the initial payment of those who change to a new company of up to eight per cent. These are the main findings of a recent study conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany. read more
The economic downturn is curbing the freight traffic volume. However, experts expect no decrease in freight volumes but a rather stable demand on most transport markets within the next six months. Expectations concerning the price development vary due to opposing trends induced by demand effects, cost developments, and the respective competitive situations, and are thus quite heterogeneous. Price pressure is coming from the current rise in fuel prices, especially concerning road and air traffic as well as the maritime freight sector. Altogether, a further, yet in most market segments only limited price increase is expected. These are the findings of the ProgTrans/ZEW Transport Market Barometer (TransportmarktBarometer) of the first quarter of 2012. ProgTrans AG, Basel, and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim quarterly survey about 250 experts from the transport and loading industry on the developments of the transport markets and prices in the next six months. read more
An international conference on global regimes for the protection of intellectual property rights and corporate competitive behaviour on 29 March, 2012 launched the new Leibniz ScienceCampus "Mannheim Centre for Competition and Innovation" (MaCCI). MaCCI is a joint project of the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and the School of Law and Economics at the University of Mannheim. Its specific research design is almost unique in Germany and in Europe. Mannheim-based MaCCI is co-funded by the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Leibniz Association. read more
The ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) has increased by 36.1 points in March 2012 to a level of 16.6 points, hence reaching positive territory for the first time since May 2011. At the same time, economic sentiment for the eurozone rose by 36.0 points to a level of 4.6 points. The economic sentiment indicator for the CEE region and further financial market data have been surveyed monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, with support of Erste Group Bank, Vienna, since 2007. read more
In March 2012 economic sentiment for Switzerland has improved markedly by 21.2 points and is now balanced at the 0.0 level. This is the third consecutive increase of the ZEW-CS Indicator. 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
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has increased by 16.9 points to a level of 22.3 points in March 2012. Thus, the indicator has risen for the fourth consecutive time. It displays its highest level since June 2010. read more
Approximately 800 companies in Germany participate in the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS). They spend more than 8.7 million euros per year for the management and administration of EU ETS, which equals an average financial burden of 10,000 euros per company and year. Costs are especially high for small firms which emit less than 25,000 tons of CO2 per year. Compared with larger emitters, their costs per ton of CO2 are ten times higher. To eliminate this inequality, small emitters could be excluded from the EU ETS and could be given other incentives to reduce their CO2 emissions. This is the result of a recent study by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany. read more
Until the end of 2013, prime rents in the five largest German office real estate markets Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich will increase while vacancy rates will decrease. These are the findings of a recent survey among real estate market experts conducted on a six-month basis by gif-Arbeitskreis Marktanalysen und Bedarfsprognosen (gif market analysis and demand forecasting working group) in cooperation with the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim. read more
The ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) has increased by 7.1 points in February 2012 to a level of minus 19.5 points. Economic Expectations for the eurozone have also slightly increased by 1.3 points to a level of minus 31.4 points. The economic sentiment indicator for the CEE region and further financial market data have been surveyed monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, with the support of Erste Group Bank, Vienna, since 2007. read more
Companies that have introduced eco-friendly process innovations registered an up to five per cent larger growth in employment than companies that have introduced non-eco-related process innovations. Especially strong stimuli resulted from "green" innovations that lead to reductions in the consumption of material and energy. These are the findings of a recent study conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim in cooperation with Prof. Jens Horbach from the University of Applied Sciences Augsburg. The study analyses the impact of eco-innovations on the employment behaviour of approximately 2,100 companies in Germany between 2006 and 2008. read more
Economic expectations for Switzerland have increased markedly for the second consecutive month. The ZEW-CS Indicator has gained 28.9 points and reached the minus 21.2 mark in February 2012. 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
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has increased by 27.0 points to a level of 5.4 points in February 2012. The indicator reaches thus positive territory for the first time since May 2011. A higher value was last seen in April 2011. read more
Major customers do not have to fear an increase of energy prices until mid-2012. But, within the horizon of five years, a rise in energy prices for industrial companies, larger industrial units, municipalities, and other final customers who demand electricity, oil, natural gas, and coal on a large scale is almost certain. These are the findings of a survey by the ZEW Energy Market Barometer among 200 experts from the energy sector, who have been asked to give an assessment on the short- and medium-term trends of energy prices for major customers at the end of 2011. read more
Companies in Germany intensified their innovation efforts during the economic crisis of 2009. These efforts turned out to be rewarding. In 2010, companies were able to increase their revenues by introducing new products. Fundamentally new innovations - "market novelties" - have sold particularly well and export-oriented sectors have been most successful in selling new products. The strong position of German companies in international markets is thus a result not only of cost advantages, but also of a competitive edge in terms of innovation. These are the findings of the recently published 2011 German Innovation Survey. The survey was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research and carried out by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovations Research as well as the Institute for Applied Social Sciences (infas). read more
When it comes to attracting companies and collecting business taxes, municipalities in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg consider communes and cities within the very same state as their primary rivals. Municipalities located close to other federal states, as well as larger cities in general, also see themselves in tough competition with cities and communes beyond the federal borders. In comparison, the competition with French and Swiss municipalities is perceived less strong. These are the results of a recent study at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim. read more
Experts consider the current plan of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) to regulate "load shedding" major consumers in the power grid a step in the right direction, yet they regard the further expansion of the power grid as the most important measure for safeguarding electricity supply. This is a key finding of the recent ZEW Energy Market Barometer, a biannual survey of approx. 200 experts in the energy industry. read more
In today's meeting, the Supervisory Board of the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim appointed Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest, Oxford University, successor to ZEW President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz. On March 1, 2013, Clemens Fuest will start at the top of ZEW, heading the institute as Director of Science and Research together with Thomas Kohl, Director of Business and Administration. Wolfgang Franz will retire and leave his position as ZEW President by the end of February 2013. read more
In January, ZEW asked financial market experts to assess the risk of a decline in German GDP in the first quarter of 2012. According to the experts, this risk has increased since the last interview October 2011. But still, the more popular view among the respondents is that there will be at least a small positive growth rate of the German GDP during this year’s first three months. The experts are more optimistic about the second quarter 2012. They consider the ehances of a positive growth of the German GDP higher than for the ongoing first quarter. These are the findings of a survey among approximately 200 financial market experts, conducted by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in January 2012. read more
The university choice of highly skilled applicants is influenced by university rankings as well as by the German quality label "University of Excellence". However, compared to other criteria, excellence and rankings play a rather minor role. The university's proximity to the parents' place of residence is still the most important factor concerning the decision for a university. This is shown by a current study of the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. read more
In the first three months of 2012, the employment situation in the German information industry is mainly positive. Approximately two thirds of the companies active in this economic sector plan to operate with a stable number of employees. 24 per cent plan to hire staff and approximately 10 per cent intend to reduce the number of employees. On balance, subtracting the negative from the positive shares of expectations, 14 per cent of the companies engaged in the information industry plan to increase their manpower. Thus, the positive labour market situation already observed in the fourth quarter of 2011 stabilises. These are the findings of a representative survey conducted in December 2011 by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim in cooperation with Creditreform in Neuss. read more
The ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) has improved by 14.8 points and reaches a level of minus 26.6 points in January 2012. The increase in experts’ expectations is consistent with their overall expectations for the eurozone. The respective indicator for the eurozone has significantly increased by 30.9 points to a level of minus 32.7 points – the highest level since July 2011. read more
In the fourth quarter of 2011, the information industry in Germany has recovered slightly from the weak economic sentiment during the third quarter. The ZEW Economic Sentiment Indicator for the Information Industry increases by five points to 61.6. This improvement of the economic sentiment in the fourth quarter is mainly due to the developments in the ICT sector, which has recovered considerably after a strong decline in the previous quarter. These are the findings of an economic survey conducted in December 2011 by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim in cooperation with Creditreform, Neuss, among representatives from the information industry. read more
The ZEW-CS Indicator rebounded in January 2012, increasing by 21.9 points to minus 50.1 points. This is the strongest increase since April 2011 and the highest level of the indicator since June 2011. read more
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has increased by 32.2 points in January 2012. The indicator now stands at minus 21.6 points. This is the highest level of the indicator since July 2011. Nevertheless, the indicator is still below its historical average of 24.5 points. read more
On January 1, 2012, a new research group started operating at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW). The new research unit will investigate economic issues in the field of competition and regulation. A special focus lies on network industries such as the gas and electricity or the rail and aviation sectors. The objective of the new research group is to deal with topics which have recently become more important, such as the enforcement of cartel law under private law or the competitive implications of the German energy transition. read more
Prof. Dr. Michael Schröder, head of the Research Department "International Finance and Financial Management" at ZEW, comments on the introduction of a financial transaction tax which is currently under discussion: the introduction of a financial transaction tax (FTT) would reduce the volume of short-term trading activities at the capital markets involved and would lead to an increase of tax revenues. On the other hand, it would probably increase the price for corporate financing. A quick migration of financial transactions to trading centres which are not subject to the tax might be slowed down by the location principle proposed by the European Commission. read more