Research Projects

Measurement of the Digitalisation of the German Economy

The purpose of the project is to measure the digitalisation of the German economy and to track its development over time. The results will serve as an evidence-based framework for decision makers in policy and business. The project comprises several topics. DIW Berlin focuses on the analysis of the productivity effects of digitization.

MEDIS – Methods for the Evaluation of Direct and Indirect Flood Losses

The estimation of economic fl ood losses is a crucial component when decisions about flood defence are made on the basis of cost-benefi t-analyses. Therefore, improved and scientifically sound loss models are a fundamental step towards cost-eff ective fl ood management.

Mentoring of Refugees (MORE)

The scientific study MORE is designed to deliver first results on the role of civic engagement in the short- and long-term integration of refugees in Germany. The intervention study is being carried out by the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) in partnership with the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). It is funded through the Leibniz...

Methods and Applications of the Allocation of Network Costs (NET-ALLOK))

The goal of this research project is to investigate the current and future usage of the electricity transmission grid in the context of the energy transformation. To this end, the project develops methods to allocate short- and long-term network costs based on the individual network usage. Specifically, it proposes algorithms for power flow allocation and carries out a systematical assessment and...

Mistra Carbon Exit

The overarching aim of Mistra NEPSIS is to develop societal pathways for the transformative change of the supply chains of buildings, transportation infrastructure and transportation – from input and raw materials, over primary and secondary activities, to final products and services – to fulfil the national target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. More information on the project you...

Mitigation of methane emissions - a rapid and cost-effective response to climate change

This project leaded by Bjorn Lomborg aims to provide the international political community present at COP-15 with a better foundation to do what is rationally the right thing if they want to do most good addressing climate change at the scarce resources available. This importantly includes looking beyond traditional mitigation and towards the alternatives which are not necessarily at the political...

Mobility 2025: The impact of income, mobility costs and demography

The expected decline in inhabitants and the ageing of the population will have an impact on all areas of the society. Whereas the influence on an ageing population on the social security system, in particular the health care and retirement insurance system, is broadly discussed, the effects on the domestic demand and the consumption structure are scarcely analysed. The aim of this project is to...

Model-based analyses for the electricity sector design to favor the integration of renewable energies in the energy transformation (MASMIE)

Germany’s energy transformation that aims to transform the current energy mix towards an energy portfolio with higher renewable energy share has an effect on power plants, the transmission grid, and the power storage. This requires a new approach for the assessment of the electricity market design through techno-economic modeling as a basis for policy and management decisions. The project aims to...

Modelling the EU ETS: Stability through a permit reserve

The project brings together a research consortium to undertake a model comparison study of the proposed EU ETS Market Stability Reserve. Combining the insights emerging from several models the aim is to provide robust quantitative evidence and enhance the understanding of different options to implement a Market Stability Reserve. Such an analysis can provide policy makers and market participants...

Modern state-owned firms' performance: An empirical analysis of productivity, market power and innovation

In sectors of general interests, the economic activity of the state decreased over decades as a consequence of privatisation and liberalisation. Recently, local governments began to remunicipalise in the energy and water sector, thereby creating a new and modern generation of state-owned firms.  These firms, however, differ in organisation and production environment from the state monopolists of...

More Years better Lifes (LONGLIVES)

This proposal focuses on two key factors related to the interest among policymakers across Europe in extending working lives: the relationship of longer working with health and caring responsibilities. This proposal brings together expertise from four countries – Denmark, Germany, France and the UK – to shed new light on how longer working lives might affect the health and well-being of the older...

Multidimensional Price Discrimination and Partial Information Sharing

Municipal infrastructure companies against the background of energy policy and demographic change (KOMIED) – Empirical analyses using micro level data of the energy, water and waste sector

Municipal infrastructure firms are facing major challenges. On the one hand, they are operating under an increased pressure to reduce costs due to growing intensive competition and shifting regulatory processes. On the other hand, they have to fulfill new environmental requirements that result from new energy and climate policy objectives and demographic changes. Recent privatizations have not...

NAMAs Central Asia

The large-scale project „Integrated Approach for the Development of Climate-Friendly Economies in Central Asia" (NAMAs) aimed at identifying the policies and measures for a climate-friendly economy as well as the evaluation of its influences in the countries in Central Asia an. It was coordinated by DIW Econ. In the sub-project "Green Growth in Kazakhstan" the impacts on economic growth of...

Nationwide Antibody Study “Living in Germany—Corona Monitoring” (RKI-SOEP)

How many people have already been infected with the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2? How many infections have gone undetected? The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) are investigating these questions in the nationwide study “Living in Germany—Corona Monitoring”. DIW Berlin has commissioned Kantar to carry out the survey.

Neighbourhood Effects: The Analysis of individual rational behaviour in a social context

The project "neighbourhood effects" aims at combining existing individual-level datasets at a small scale regional level with informations on the respective neighbourhood, which are generated from different data sources. In a second step, the role of neighbourhood effects on varying outcome variables is analyzed in a social context. Possible approaches are, among others, the investigation of the...

Netspar - Flexible combinations of work and retirement

The demographic change challenges pay-as-you-go funded pension insurance systems around the world. In particular, the aging of the population increases the group of pension recipients while the group of working contributors decreases. Therefore, most OECD countries have reversed their retirement policies since the 1990s and started to encourage longer working lives to alleviate the decline of the...

Next generation of RES-E policy instruments

The rise of renewable sources of electricity (RES-E) is transforming power systems globally. This trend is likely to continue with large increases in investment and deployment of RES-E capacity over the coming decades. Several countries now have penetration levels of variable RES-E generation (wind and solar) in excess of 15% of their overall power-generation mix; and many jurisdictions (e.g.,...

Non-probability Internet Surveys

This joint project aims to compare the scientific advantages and disadvantages of “traditional” survey methods used by the SOEP and the innovative web-based sampling methods used by Civey and to identify potential research synergies resulting from combinations of the two approaches. On the one hand, Civey’s web-based approach is likely to offer access to population groups that SOEP is currently...

open ENTRANCE

The aim of the project “Open ENergy TRansition ANalyses for a low-carbon Economy” is to develop, apply and disseminate an open, transparent and integrated modelling platform designed to assess low-carbon transition pathways in Europe. The platform will initially be populated with a suite of state-of-the-art modelling tools by the project partners that will process data derived from the multiple...