History of ZEW

In 1997, Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Wolfgang Franz took over as scientific director of the institute from Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Heinz König, who retired in April 1997.

In 1998, the German Council of Science and Humanities visited the ZEW and recommended its inclusion in the so-called Blue List. This was a prerequisite for the institute's admission to the Leibniz Association, which took place in 2005.

In 2001, on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the institute received the Initiative Award for promoting the reputation of the city of Mannheim as a cultural and economic metropolis.

In 2003, Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Wolfgang Franz is appointed to the German Council of Economic Experts for the second time. He had already been a member of the council from 1994 to 1998. In 2009, he takes over as chairman and remains one of the five “economic wise men” until the end of 2013.

In 2004, Thomas Kohl took over the commercial management of ZEW from its founding director, Ernst O. Schulze, who retired.

In memory of the founding president of ZEW, the Heinz König Award, worth €5,000, is presented for the first time for outstanding scientific work. It is aimed at young scientists under the age of 35 who have made a demonstrable impact in their field of research and strive to transfer their findings to a wider audience.

This year also sees the establishment of the current ZEW research unit “Digital Economy.” The unit investigates how digitalization affects production, innovation, and the world of work, how digital markets and platforms function, and the significance of underlying digital infrastructures. In its first year, the unit organizes the “Conference on the Economics of Information and Communications Technologies,” one of the most important scientific events in the field of digital economics.

In 2005, the institute became a member of the Leibniz Association, one of Germany's four major non-university research institutions. Admission was contingent upon a recommendation by the German Council of Science and Humanities in 1998.

The ZEW research group “Growth and Business Cycle Analysis” begins its work and focuses on the economic development of national economies and the accuracy of forecasts.

In 2008, German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel visits the ZEW as part of the lecture series “First-hand Economic Policy.” Speaking to around 570 guests, she discusses current economic and financial policy issues and presents key aspects of the economic stimulus package planned for 2009.

In 2009, the institute is successfully evaluated by the Leibniz Association for the first time. Based on an excellent evaluation result, the Senate of the Leibniz Association recommends that the federal and state governments continue to support ZEW as an institution of supraregional importance and national scientific policy interest.

In 2010, the international research program “Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies” (SEEK), funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg, was launched at ZEW. Scientists analyze the most pressing issues in European economic policy through application-oriented research. After more than ten years, SEEK will come to an end in March 2021.

In 2012, the ZEW Research Data Center (ZEW-FDZ) is accredited by the German Data Forum (RatSWD). External researchers can now access various microdata for scientific use at the ZEW-FDZ. The data comes from ZEW surveys such as the Mannheim Innovation Panel (MIP) or the ZEW ICT Survey.

The Leibniz Science Campus Mannheim Centre for Competition and Innovation (MaCCI) is founded. The ZEW and the Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Mannheim collaborate on scientific projects focusing on competition, regulation, and innovation.

The ZEW research group “Competition and Regulation” begins its work and examines economic issues in the field of competition and regulation. A particular focus is on network industries such as the gas and electricity industries or rail and air transport.

In 2016, Professor Achim Wambach, PhD becomes president of ZEW. He succeeds Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Clemens Fuest, who moves to Munich to join the ifo Institute.

Shortly before that, Achim Wambach will take over as chairman of the Monopolies Commission for a period of four years, having been a member since 2014. As an independent body, the Commission advises the German government, legislative bodies, and the public on competition policy, competition law, and regulation.

ZEW acquires the institute building at Quadrat L7.1 in Mannheim.

In 2017, Professor Achim Wambach, PhD takes over as chair of the Verein für Socialpolitik (VfS), one of the largest German-speaking associations of economists, for a two-year term.

ZEW participates for the first time as a scientific partner in the YES! – Young Economic Solutions (formerly Young Economic Summit) competition, a Germany-wide school competition focusing on economic and social challenges under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The teams of students supported by ZEW regularly achieve top rankings.

In 2018, ZEW establishes the Market Design Research Group at the institute, which is dedicated to the analysis and optimization of markets. After evaluating the expansion project, the German Council of Science and Humanities recommends the continued funding of this field of research.

In 2019, Professor Dr. Irene Bertschek, head of the ZEW Research Department “Digital Economy,” will be appointed to the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI). The EFI's task is to provide scientific policy advice on behalf of the German federal government on the topics of education, research, and innovation.

ZEW is setting up a structured training program for doctoral students in cooperation with the University of Mannheim, thereby further strengthening scientific exchange. Depending on their specialization, doctoral students are trained at the Center for Doctoral Studies in Economics (CDSE) or at the Center for Doctoral Studies in Business (CDSB) in the graduate program at the University of Mannheim.

In 2020, ZEW economist Professor Dr. Sebastian Siegloch receives a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

In 2021, the research group “Health Markets and Health Policy” begins its work at ZEW, focusing on the analysis of health markets and the evaluation of health policy measures.

In 2022, the institute and the University of Mannheim establish the Mannheim Institute for Financial Education (MIFE) under the direction of Professor Dr. Tabea Bucher-Koenen and Professor Dr. Carmela Aprea, which is dedicated to comprehensive research on issues related to financial education.

Professor Dr. Irene Bertschek, head of the Digital Economy Research Department at ZEW, is appointed to the newly established Future Council of the German Chancellor in the same year.

In 2023, ZEW undergoes the Leibniz Association's evaluation process again and receives an excellent rating.

In 2024, Claudia von Schuttenbach took over as Commercial Director. Former Commercial Director Thomas Kohl retired. He had been with ZEW since 1992, including 20 years as Managing Director.

In October of the same year, ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach, PhD becomes a member of the German Ethics Council. The Council deals with ethical, social, scientific, medical, and legal issues, as well as the consequences of research and development on individuals and society.