_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Z E W N E W S L E T T E R E N G L I S H E D I T I O N No. 2012-07 July 30, 2012 (Yvonne Braeutigam, newsletter-en at zew.de ) http://www.zew.eu _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Content 1. NEWS 2. CALL FOR PAPERS 2.1. 14th ZEW Summer Workshop - Trade and the Environment (October 12-16, 2012, Mannheim) 3. STAFF 3.1. Visiting Researchers 4. PRESS RELEASES 5. RECENT PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE 5.1. ZEW policy brief 5.2. Financial Market Report Switzerland 5.3. Financial Market Report CEE 5.4. Discussion Papers 5.5. Expertises/Research Reports IN GERMAN LANGUAGE 5.6. ZEWnews 5.7. ZEW-Finanzmarktreport (ZEW Financial Market Report) 5.8. Gutachten/Forschungsberichte (Expertises/Research Reports) 5.9. ZEW-Dokumentationen (ZEW Documentations) 6. NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS 7. EVENTS 7.1. Scientific Events _____________________________________________________________________ 1. NEWS 20.07.2012 Questions & Answers: How Will Cloud Computing Change the Way we Work? Work Anywhere, Anytime: More and more companies are shifting to cloud computing, where services such as information storage, computing capacity, and software applications do not depend on in-house data centres. With cloud computing, companies can outsource data storage and other services to cloud providers. ZEW researcher Dr. Joerg Ohnemus discusses the influence of cloud computing on business and work. Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2065 19.07.2012 Avoiding High Overdraft Rates - Taking Advantage of Alternatives! A Study by the Centre for European Economic Research and the Institute for Financial Services on Behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection: Some 80 per cent of German households have an overdraft credit. According to experts of consumer protection organisations, the interest rates on overdraft credits are too high. A study presented in Berlin on July 19, 2012, discusses the pros and cons of different legal regulation systems aiming at limiting overdraft rates and preventing misuse. The study conducted by the Institute for Financial Services (Institut fuer Finanzdienstleistungen e.V., iff) and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) through resources of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2061 11.07.2012 ZEW's Computer Simulation "The Climate Protection Dilemma" Displayed at the Largest European Scientific Conference "Euroscience Open Forum" (ESOF): The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) contributes its computer simulation "The Climate Protection Dilemma" to the Leibniz Association's stand at the ESOF in Dublin on July 11-15, 2012. The item simulates international climate protection negotiations. The focus is on the willingness of individual states to spend money on climate protection measures. The Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) is the largest scientific conference in Europe, which takes place every two years in a large European city. The aim of the conference is to present the latest developments and achievements within a broad scope of scientific areas to the general public, and to strengthen the links between science and public. Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2057 10.07.2012 Researchers of Fudan University Visit ZEW: On July 10 and 11, 2012, a delegation of researchers from the renowned Fudan University in Shanghai visited the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW). The Chinese delegation was headed by the director of the Institute of World Economy at Fudan University, Professor Hua Min, and attended a workshop in Mannheim which has been jointly organised with ZEW. During two days, problems and phenomena which are of great importance to China as well as to Europe were being discussed under the title "Challenges and Countermeasures for Manufacturing-Based Economies: Resource Scarcity, Currency Appreciation, and Trade Surplus". Read more: http://www.zew.de/news2055 For current news, please visit: http://www.zew.de/news 2. CALL FOR PAPERS 2.1. 14th ZEW Summer Workshop - Trade and the Environment (October 12-16, 2012, Mannheim) The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is pleased to announce its 14th ZEW Summer Workshop in October 2012. This year's focus is on Trade and the Environment. The ZEW Summer Workshop provides a forum for discussion between up-and-coming researchers and established experts in their field of research. The programme comprises lectures by experienced researchers and presentations by young scholars. The workshop is open to about 15 advanced PhD students at the final stage of their doctoral thesis and postdocs within three years after completion of their thesis. We encourage the submission of theoretical and empirical papers. Please submit your paper and a curriculum vitae to summerworkshop2012 at zew.de no later than August 24, 2012. At the end of the workshop, presenter of the most outstanding paper at the ZEW Summer Workshop will be honoured with the Heinz Koenig Young Scholar Award. This year's award is sponsored by the Guenter J. and Christa Grochla Stiftung. Additional information and Call for Papers: http://www.zew.de/summerworkshop2012 3. STAFF 3.1. Visiting Researchers Professor Michael Ward and Dr. Joerg Claussen Visiting Researchers at ZEW Within the Research Programme SEEK: In July and August 2012, Prof. Michael Ward, PhD, and Dr. Joerg Claussen are visiting researchers at the ZEW Research Group "Information and Communication Technologies". Michael Ward is Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Arlington. Joerg Claussen is senior researcher at the Ifo Institute. During their stay, they are working on the joint SEEK research project "Effects of Knowledge and Learning in Technology Adoption: Social Networks, Adoption, and Persistence in the Video Game Market". Additional information on the SEEK research programme: http://seek.zew.eu Carolyn Fischer, PhD, Visiting Researcher at ZEW: Carolyn Fischer, PhD, was visiting researcher at the ZEW Research Department "Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management" from July 2-4, 2012. She is senior fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) in Washington, DC. Her research interests include air quality, climate change, development and environment, ecosystem management, food and agriculture, forests, policy instruments, and transportation. During her stay at ZEW, she was working on the SEEK research project "Competitiveness Impacts in a World with Uneven Carbon Constraints: Examining the Implications of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on Energy-Intensive Industries". Additional information on Carolyn Fischer: http://www.rff.org/Researchers/Pages/ResearchersBio.aspx?ResearcherID=28 Professor Timo Teraesvirta Visiting Researcher at ZEW Within the Research Programme SEEK: Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Timo Teraesvirta, Professor of Economics at Aarhus University in Denmark and member of the Research Center CREATES, was visiting researcher at the ZEW Research Group "Growth and Business Cycles" on June 27 and 28, 2012. His research interests include non-linear time series econometrics and the modelling of volatility. During his stay at ZEW, he was working on the SEEK research project "Financial Stress and Economic Dynamics: Asymmetries Within and Across Euro Area Countries". Additional information on Prof. Timo Teraesvirta: http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id%28dcf45940-3e5e-4f68-b513-d619cd9a25da%29.html 4. PRESS RELEASES 26.07.2012 - ZEW (kbo/nwo) ZEW Energy Market Barometer - High Level of Corruption Destabilises Supply Relationships for Oil and Gas: For Germany as well as for other industrial countries, an undisturbed supply of crude oil and natural gas is of great importance. Researchers of the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) surveyed some 200 experts from the energy industry in Germany who highlighted aspects perceived as guaranteeing an undisturbed supply: long-existing supply relationships with countries exporting crude oil and natural gas, and a high degree of economic development within these countries. A destabilising effect, however, is a high level of corruption in the supplying country's administration and economy. This is the assessment of the current ZEW Energy Market Barometer. Every six months, about 200 experts from the energy industry are surveyed on current topics for the ZEW Energy Market Barometer. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2072 25.07.2012 - ZEW (ggr/vni/fsa) ZEW-ZEPHYR M&A Index - Sustainable Recovery of M&A Activities Worldwide Is Not Yet in Sight: The worldwide M&A activities caused an emotional roller coaster during the first six months of 2012. The ZEW-ZEPHYR M&A Index, which reflects the development of mergers and acquisitions completed worldwide, dropped to 105 points in February 2012. That is the lowest level since August 2009 of this indicator calculated by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) and Bureau van Dijk (BvD) on a monthly basis. In fact, the indicator recovered to a level of 119 points until May 2012 just to drop back to 110 points in June. For the second half of 2012, despite an upcoming mega merger, no stimulation of the worldwide M&A activities can by now be identified. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2071 23.07.2012 - ZEW (ggr/msu) Information Economy in Germany - Significant Changes While Sentiment Remains Positive: At first sight, the economic sentiment of the companies in the information economy being surveyed by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) on a quarterly basis seems unchanged. With a minus of 0.3 points and a current value of 58.1 points in the June survey, the ZEW Sentiment Indicator for the Information Economy lies above the crucial 50-points mark again in the second quarter of 2012. A positive economic development can thus be expected during the next months. Taking a look on the sub-indicators which compose the ZEW Sentiment Indicator Information Economy, however, shows that there are indeed remarkable changes. These changes can primarily be traced back to the ICT sector which is especially important for the information economy. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2064 19.07.2012 - ZEW (zil/kbo) ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - Expectations Decline: Economic expectations for Central and Eastern Europe including Turkey (CEE) have decreased by 7.6 points in July 2012. The ZEW-Erste Group Bank Economic Sentiment Indicator is hence standing at minus 7.6 points. The largest decrease of expectations is observed for the sentiment indicators for Croatia and Slovakia. The economic sentiment indicator for the CEE region and further financial market data have been surveyed monthly by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, supported by Erste Group Bank, Vienna, since 2007. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2062 18.07.2012 - ZEW (gla/kbo) ZEW-CS Financial Market Test Switzerland - Economic Expectations Stabilise: Economic expectations for Switzerland have improved slightly by 0.9 points in July 2012. The ZEW-CS Indicator is now standing at minus 42.5 points. The share of analysts expecting the economic development in Switzerland to stay unchanged over the next six months has grown by 5.9 percentage points to 53.7 per cent. After the steep fall in the past month, the economic expectations seem to have stabilised at a low level in July. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2060 17.07.2012 - ZEW (cdi/fmo/kbo) ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment - Expectations Decline Slightly: The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany has dropped by 2.7 points in July 2012. This represents the third decline in a row. The indicator is now standing at a level of minus 19.6 points. This value is below the indicator's historical average of 24.0 points. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2059 02.07.2012 - ZEW (fhe/ggr) FIRE instead of Eurobonds - A New Concept to Tackle the Debt Crisis: Europe should address the crisis of confidence at the European bond markets through a direct equalisation of interest rates. Such a solution avoids the collective liability of Eurobonds and is affordable even if applied to Spain and Italy. This is the result of analyses conducted by Friedrich Heinemann, Head of the Research Department "Corporate Taxation and Public Finance" at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim. Read more: http://www.zew.de/press2051 For current press releases, please visit: http://www.zew.de/en/presse 5. RECENT PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE 5.1. ZEW policy brief FIRE for the Euro - A Strategy for Stabilising Government Bond Markets: Europe should address the crisis of confidence at the European bond markets through a direct equalisation of interest rates. Such a solution avoids the collective liability of Eurobonds and is affordable even if applied to Spain and Italy. This is the result of analyses conducted by Friedrich Heinemann, Head of the Research Department "Corporate Taxation and Public Finance" at ZEW. Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/policybrief/pb01-12.pdf 5.2. Financial Market Report Switzerland Financial Market Report Switzerland August 2012 * Economic Outlook for Switzerland: The Situation Stabilises * Current Economic Situation: Slight Decline * Inflation Expectations: Few Expect Higher Inflation * Interest Rates: No Change Is Expected * Stock Market Outlook: Most Analysts Still Expect a Pick-Up * Swiss Franc vs. Euro: EUR/CHF Should Stay Stable * Special Question: Capital Market Controls Download as PDF(*): http://www.zew.de/FinancialMarketReportSwitzerland082012.pdf 5.3. Financial Market Report CEE Financial Market Report CEE August 2012 * Economic Expectations for the CEE Region Decline * Economic Outlook for the CEE Region, Austria, and the Eurozone * Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia: Bullish Stock Market Revision * Croatia, Hungary, and Romania: Economic Sentiments Deteriorate * Turkey: Decreased Inflation Rate Expectations * Special Question: Impact of Election Results in Greece on the CEE Region Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/fmt_cee/FMTCEE082012.pdf 5.4. Discussion Papers 12-051 Benedikt Zinn; Christoph Spengel Book-Tax Conformity: Empirical Evidence from Germany Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12051.pdf 12-050 Florian Smuda Cartel Overcharges and the Deterrent Effect of EU Competition Law Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12050.pdf 12-049 Dirk Czarnitzki; Hanna Hottenrott Collaborative R&D as a Strategy to Attenuate Financing Constraints Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12049.pdf 12-048 Hanna Hottenrott; Cornelia Lawson Research Grants, Sources of Ideas and the Effects on Academic Research Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12048.pdf 12-047 Hanna Hottenrott; Cindy Lopes Bento Quantity or Quality? Collaboration Strategies in Research and Development and Incentives to Patent Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12047.pdf 12-046 Daniel Dressler; Uwe Scheuering Empirical Evaluation of Interest Barrier Effects Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12046.pdf 12-045 Thomas Fischer; Jesper Riedler Prices, Debt and Market Structure in an Agent-Based Model of the Financial Market Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12045.pdf 12-044 Simon Koesler; Martin Achtnicht; Jonathan Koehler Capped Steam Ahead - A Case Study Among Ship Operators on a Maritime ETS Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12044.pdf 12-043 Hanna Hottenrott; Sascha Rexhaeuser; Reinhilde Veugelers Green Innovations and Organisational Change: Making Better Use of Environmental Technology Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12043.pdf 12-042 Martin Achtnicht; Reinhard Madlener Factors Influencing German House Owners' Preferences on Energy Retrofits Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12042.pdf 12-041 Bodo Aretz; Nicole Guertzgen What Explains the Decline in Wage Mobility in the German Low-Wage Sector? Download as PDF(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp12041.pdf 5.5. Expertises Christian Koehler, Philippe Larzdo, and Christian Rammer (2012), Fiscal Incentives for R&D. Report to NESTA as part of the Compendium of Evidence on the Effectiveness of Innovation Policy Intervention Project Additional information and download: http://www.zew.de/publikation6652 IN GERMAN LANGUAGE 5.6. ZEWnews The ZEWnews July/August 2012 German edition contains articles on: * After-Effects of Hunger During Childhood Are often Systematically Underestimated * Strong Demand for German Real Estate Continues * Q&A: How Does Cloud Computing Change the Way we Work? * Indicators for the Assessment of Energy Policy * Q&A: How Can the European Debt Crisis Be Curbed? * ZEW Economic Forum 2012: Perspectives for the Euro * Opinion Regarding "Grexit" Download as PDF (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/zn/zn0812.pdf The German issue contains the additional feature "Energy Market" which is made up of the following articles: * Extension of Renewables * Offshore Wind Energy Implies Great Technical Challenge * Expectations Concerning Short and Long-Term Energy Prices in Germany * Price Development for CO2 Emissions Certificates Download as PDF (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/zn/schwerpunkte/energiemarkt/Energiemarkt0812.pdf 5.7. ZEW-Finanzmarktreport (ZEW Financial Market Report) ZEW Financial Market Report August 2012 * ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment Decreases Clearly Slower * ECB: Regressive Inflation Expectations Despite Prime Rate Reduction * USA: Economic Situation Assessed with more Scepticism * Japan: Economic Expectations Slightly Tarnish * Great Britain: Assessment of the Situation Continues Being Weak * Special Question: Economic Growth in Germany Download as PDF (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/frep/082012.pdf 5.8. Gutachten/Forschungsberichte (Expertises/Research Reports) Christian Dick, Michael Knobloch, Kerim S. Al-Umaray, Lena Jaroszek, Michael Schroeder, and Achim Tiffe (2012), Studie zu Dispozinsen/Ratenkrediten (Study on Overdraft Rates/Instalment Credits), Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), Hamburg, Mannheim. Additional information and download (German only): http://www.zew.de/publication6659 Andreas Schibany, Marcin Borowiecki, Bernhard Dachs, Michael Dinges, Helmut Gassler, Karl-Heinz Leitner, Christian Rammer, Gerhard Streicher, Matthias Weber, and Georg Zahradnik (2012), Oesterreichischer Forschungs- und Technologiebericht 2012 (Austrian Report on Research and Technology 2012), Report by the Federal Government to the National Council in Line With Paragraph 8 (2) FOG (Austrian Law on Research Organisation) on the Situation and Needs of Research, Technology, and Innovation in Austria), Federal Minstry of Science and Research (BMWF), Federal Ministry of Traffic, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), Federal Ministry of Economy, Familiy and Youth (BMWF), Vienna. Additional information and download (German only): http://www.zew.de/publication6632 Claudia Busl, Zwetelina Iliewa, Sabine Jokisch, Marcus Kappler, Thomas Roscher, Felix Schindler, and Frauke Schleer (2012), Sparen und Investieren vor dem Hintergrund des demografischen Wandels (Saving and Investing Against the Background of Demographic Change), Federal Ministry of Finance, Berlin. Additional information and download (German only): http://www.zew.de/publication6627 5.9. ZEW-Dokumentationen (ZEW Documentations) 12-05 Georg Licht, Oliver Pfirrmann, Robert Strohmeyer, Stephan Heinrich, Vartuhi Tonoyan, Thomas Eckert, Michael Woywode, Dirk Crass, and Mark O. Sellenthin Begleit- und Wirkungsforschung zur Hightech-Strategie: Ex-Post-Evaluierung der Foerdermassnahmen BioChance und BioChancePlus im Rahmen der Systemevaluierung /Research on the High-Tech Strategy: Ex-Post Evaluation of the Support Measures BioChance and BioChancePlus Within the Framework of the System Evaluation) Download as PDF (German only)(*): http://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/docus/dokumentation1205.pdf (*) Please note: PDF files can be displayed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. The software can be downloaded for free: http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader 6. NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS Financing of Young Firms by External Private Equity in Germany http://www.zew.de/project1211 Firm Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy - Indicator Study 2013 http://www.zew.de/project1213 Firm Foundation Activities in Baden-Wuerttemberg's High-Tech Sector http://www.zew.de/project1216 Firm Foundation Activities in Bavaria http://www.zew.de/project1215 Future Orientation of the Government-Subsidised Capital Formation http://www.zew.de/project1218 Innovation Activities of the German Enterprise Sector - Indicator Study 2013 http://www.zew.de/project1214 Wage and Employment Adjustment to European Market Integration: The Role of Labour Market Rigidities. Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Germany http://www.zew.de/project1225 7. EVENTS 7.1. Scientific Events 13.09.2012 Workshop: SEEK Workshop on Corporate Philanthropy Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1684 20.09.2012 ZEW Research Seminar: The Pricing of Sovereign Risk and Contagion in Advanced and Emerging Economies Speaker: Marcel Fratzscher (European Central Bank) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1686 27.09.2012 ZEW Research Seminar: Risk Attitudes and Occupational Choice Speaker: Olga Skriabikova (Maastricht University) Location of the event: ZEW, Mannheim Additional information: http://www.zew.de/event1705 _____________________________________________________________________ IMPRINT Publisher: Centre for European Economic Research GmbH (ZEW) L 7, 1 - 68161 Mannheim - Germany - http://www.zew.eu Phone +49 621/1235-01 Fax +49 621/1235-255 Seat of the company: Mannheim Local Court Mannheim HRB 6554 Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Gerhard Stratthaus, MdL, Minister, ret. Executive Directors: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz, Thomas Kohl Editors: Yvonne Braeutigam, yvonne.braeutigam at zew.de ; Patrick Pilarek, pilarek at zew.de E-mail: newsletter-en at zew.de Editorial assistants: Sebastian Kreimes; Julia Glashauser Responsibility: Gunter Grittmann, grittmann at zew.de Legal note: http://www.zew.eu/legalnote You can subscribe/unsubscribe at any time - online via http://www.zew.eu/newsletter or - mail to zew-newsletter-englishedition-request at mx-assp2.zew.de Subject: (leave blank!) Text: subscribe zew-newsletter-englishedition or unsubscribe zew-newsletter-englishedition _____________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * *Messages sorted by:* [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ More information about the Zew-newsletter-englishedition mailing list