Publications of the Research Unit Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics

  1. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-029 // 2025

    Patents, Trade Secrets and Performance Aspirations in Family Firms

    We investigate whether family ownership is associated with a preference for patents or trade secrets. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, we show that family ownership is negatively associated with patenting and…

  2. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-028 // 2025

    Do China’s Special Economic Zones Increase Incentives to Invest in R&D?

    China’s special economic zones (SEZs) have been established to foster business growth and innovation by improving the institutional context of specific sub-regional areas. We examine the effect of SEZs on the…

  3. ZEW Monthly // 2025

    05/2025 – Young Companies

    Young companies represent change, growth and innovation – and this makes them a central pillar in the future of a country’s economy. However, entrepreneurial dynamics in Germany have slowed for years. At the…

  4. Refereed Journal // 2025

    Patents, Trade Secrets and Performance Aspirations in Family Firms

    We investigate whether family ownership is associated with a preference for patents or trade secrets. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, we show that family ownership is negatively associated with patenting and…

  5. Non-Refereed Journal // 2025

    Start-ups als Innovationstreiber stärken

    Die Entwicklung von Unternehmensgründungen im Verarbeitende Gewerbe in Deutschland ist rückläufig. Anders sieht es bei technologieintensiven Dienstleistungen, insbesondere im Bereich Softwareentwicklung und…

  6. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-026 // 2025

    The Effects of Public Procurement Requirements and Voluntary Standards on Environmental Product Innovation

    Public procurement requirements and voluntary standards are increasingly used to foster environmental product innovations. However, quantitative evidence on their individual and joint effects is absent, and…

  7. Non-Refereed Journal // 2025

    The IAB/ZEW Start-up Panel

    The IAB/ZEW Start-Up Panel is a longitudinal and representative survey established in 2008, designed to focus on founders and their businesses during the very early stages of the firm life cycle. Data on newly…