Research at ZEW

ZEW conducts evidence-based economic policy research on a range of high-visibility topics, including the digital transformation, European integration, and the energy transition.

These are tackled by ZEW’s research units.

Current Publications

Refereed Journal // forthcoming

Location-based Accessibility and Innovation Performance
Refereed Journal // forthcoming

I'm a taxpayer … get me out of here? Evidence on attitudes towards simplifying the tax jungle
Refereed Journal // forthcoming

The Anatomy of U.S. Sick Leave Schemes: Evidence from Public School Teachers

Current projects

Laufende Projekte

  1. Project // 01.09.2025 – 30.06.2026

    Expert information providers in the Heating Transition

    Households invest less in energy efficiency than would be rational from an economic and ecological perspective. Research on the energy efficiency gap shows that information deficits, incentives, and social…

    01.09.2025 – 30.06.2026
    Environmental and Climate Economics
  2. Project // 01.09.2025 – 30.09.2026

    Calculation of the federal government’s digital budget 2025 in Germany

    The project “Calculation of the federal government’s digital budget 2025 in Germany” builds on the preceding project Calculation of the federal government's digital budget. The previous project represented the…

    01.09.2025 – 30.09.2026
    Digital Economy
  3. Project // 01.09.2025 – 31.05.2026

    Study on increasing innovation activities of SMEs in NRW

    The project examines the factors that hinder small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in initiating and implementing innovation activities and how support services can be used to…

    01.09.2025 – 31.05.2026
    Economics of Innovation and Industrial...
  4. Project // 01.09.2025 – 31.08.2028

    Tax Reform Narratives in German Municipal Tax Decisions

     

    This project studies how municipal tax reforms affect the local economy and how different reform motives influence both the implementation and the impact of these reforms. It is based on new narrative data from…

    01.09.2025 – 31.08.2028
    Corporate Taxation and Public Finance
  5. Project // 01.06.2025 – 31.01.2026

    2025 Data-Report on Innovation Behaviour of Saxony‘s Economy

    The aim of this research is to collect data on innovation activities of the business enterprise sector in the State of Saxony in the years 2022 to 2024 as well as the planned innovation activities in 2025 and…

    01.06.2025 – 31.01.2026
    Economics of Innovation and Industrial...
  6. Project // 01.05. – 31.12.2025

    Start-ups and Innovation Trends in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region

    The project aims to produce a brief report on R&D and innovation indicators for the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (MRN) and, based on this, to analyze two aspects in depth:

    • The structure, development, and…
    01.05. – 31.12.2025
    Economics of Innovation and Industrial...