Strengthening Health Economics Research in the Metropolitan Region
Dates and NewsBaden-Württemberg’s Minister of Science Olschowski Meets High-Ranking Representatives from Education and Research at ZEW
On 20 March 2026, more than 20 high-ranking representatives from science met with Minister Petra Olschowski at ZEW Mannheim to explore possibilities of strengthening health economics research in the region and meeting the growing demand for science-based health policy advice.
Alongside the Minister and researchers from ZEW, the Rector of the University of Heidelberg, Professor Frauke Melchior; the Rector of the University of Mannheim, Professor Thomas Fetzer; as well as the deans of the economics and medical faculties followed the invitation for scientific exchange. The catalyst for this network meeting was the joint federal–state funding approved at the end of 2025 for the establishment of a “Health Economics” Research Unit at ZEW, which had been particularly supported by the State of Baden-Württemberg and its Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK). The discussion focused on the opportunities this presents for Baden-Württemberg and the region through economic research collaboration at the Medical Faculties Mannheim and Heidelberg, the university campuses in Mannheim and Heidelberg, and ZEW.
ZEW President Achim Wambach, PhD emphasised: “The German health care system is one of the best in the world. It is also one of the most expensive systems and suffers from many shortcomings. So, our evidence-based analyses, which bring together medical and economic perspectives, are becoming increasingly important for politics and business. Today, we have invited the region’s universities and the deans and spokespersons of the economics and medical faculties to discuss synergies and approaches to cooperation together with the Minister for Science. ZEW, with its research areas, can serve as one of the pillars here.”
Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region provides perfect foundations
The region is already one of Europe’s leading centres for economics and medical research and health care. ZEW Mannheim is expanding its Research Unit “Health Care Markets and Health Policy”. One of its research areas within the “Labour Markets” Unit is focused on social insurance. In the past, two professorships in health economics were established at the medical faculties of the University of Heidelberg.
Claudia von Schuttenbach, Managing Director of ZEW, says: “The Mannheim–Heidelberg academic region offers excellent foundations for expanding health economics research. What we have to do now is capitalise on this momentum and systematically develop the region into a leading national and international centre for health economics.”
ZEW contributes broad expertise
At the network meeting, several ZEW researchers provided input for the ensuing discussion. Professor Simon Reif, head of the “Health Care Markets and Health Policy” Research Unit, and Professor Nicolas Ziebarth, head of the “Labour Markets and Social Insurance” Unit, gave an insight into their current health economics research at ZEW. Professor Irene Bertschek, head of the “Digital Economy” Unit and Chair of the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) of the German government, emphasised the importance of digitalisation for the health care sector.
