Latest Press Releases

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in cancer screenings, in particular during the first wave of the pandemic in spring 2020. This could have a negative impact on overall public health, as late diagnosis can reduce the chances of successful treatment. Fear of contracting COVID-19 seems to be a major reason why patients avoid screening appointments. This finding was confirmed by survey data as well as in a recent analysis of trending Google search terms conducted by economists at ZEW Mannheim.

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The “Health Care Markets and Health Policy” Project Group, which took up its work at ZEW Mannheim on 1 January 2021, can chalk up a great success just a few weeks after it was set up. Its funding application for a major research project in the field of health economics was granted by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The ZEW project is one of 17 projects that will be funded as part of the “Forum Gesundheitsstandort Baden-Württemberg” this year and with a total of 51.9 million euros next year.

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The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany increased again considerably in the current February 2021 survey, climbing 9.4 points to a new reading of 71.2 points compared to January. The assessment of the economic situation in Germany worsened slightly, and currently stands at minus 67.2 points, 0.8 points lower than in January. The assessment of the situation has thus remained practically unchanged at the same low level over the past six months. “The financial market experts are optimistic about the future. They are confident that the German economy will be back on the growth track within the next six months. Consumption and retail trade in particular are expected to recover significantly, accompanied by higher inflation expectations,” comments ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach.

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The risk of becoming a victim of a cyberattack has increased in the past year, according to many companies. Almost one in four companies in the information economy says that this risk has increased since the beginning of 2020. This is the result of a recent survey conducted by ZEW Mannheim among more than 900 companies in the information economy.

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With the research award “Future of the Working World”, the Volksbank Weinheim Stiftung and ZEW Mannheim honour outstanding dissertations and master’s theses in the field of economics. This year, the prize has been awarded for the eighth time following the decision of a seven-member jury. The award for the best dissertation went to Dr. Martin Lange. Ralf Landeck received the award for the best master’s thesis in economics.

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Innovation expenditure by German companies rose again in 2019, reaching an all-time high of 176.9 billion euros. More and more companies are showing perseverance when it comes to innovation. Compared to the previous year, the share of companies that are continuously active in research and development increased significantly by eight per cent in 2019. This shows that companies are investing in new technologies, products and processes for the long term. The target figures for 2020, which were submitted midyear, are still relatively stable in light of the pandemic. Despite COVID-19, companies in Germany estimate that there will only be a small decrease in innovation spending of 2.2 per cent in contrast to 2019. This is a moderate cut, considering that the decline in economic output in Germany is forecast to be more than five per cent.

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The ‘Querdenken’ or ‘Lateral Thinkers’ protests in November 2020 led to a sharp increase in coronavirus infections in Germany. This is shown by a recent study by ZEW Mannheim and the Humboldt University of Berlin, which analyses the impact that the two large ‘Querdenken’ rallies that took place in November 2020 had on the seven-day incidence rate by the end of December.

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The shift from working in the office to working from home has been a key component in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Therefore, the federal and state governments took the decision on 19 January 2021 to lay out plans in which companies have to enable their employees to work from home “wherever possible”. However, the share of employees whose work activities are suitable for working from home remains uncertain. “From the employers’ perspective, there is a very high potential for a shift to working from home within the German information economy. About 45 per cent of companies in this sector expect that more than half of their employees have a job that is – in theory – suitable for working from home,” says Dr. Daniel Erdsiek, researcher in the Research Department “Digital Economy” at ZEW Mannheim.

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The US Nasdaq, or Nasdaq OMX Group since 2008, will turn 50 on 8 February 2021. Based in New York City, it has since become the second largest stock exchange in the world. As the first electronic stock exchange, it has attracted especially innovative technology companies. That is why it is often referred to as the technology exchange to this day. Dr. Georg Licht, head of the Research Department “Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics” at ZEW Mannheim, explains the importance of Nasdaq for high-tech companies:

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Germany’s Vaccination Summit is taking place today in Berlin. Among the topics on the agenda is the vaccine shortage, which is currently the subject of much discussion. In an article in today’s edition of German business daily “Handelsblatt”, ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach and head of the “Market Design” Research Department, Professor Vitali Gretschko, argue for greater competition to speed up vaccine production:

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