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Innovation Dynamics and Technological Maturity in the Fusion Sector: An Assessment of Fusion Projects

Nuclear fusion is envisioned for near-term energy generation deployment, with projected timelines for commercial deployment of fusion expected for the 2030s. Previous research has been limited to either economic or technological maturity assessments of the sector. To address this gap, we design a novel framework that evaluates fusion projects across the most common reactor types and derives the trajectories ...

German Economy on the Upswing - Global Economy Continues to Grow Moderately

After three years of subdued economic activity, the German economy is on the road to recovery. While the Iran war and erratic U.S. trade policy are weighing on growth, their impact is only moderate. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that U.S. tariffs are unlawful, this does not change the tariff rates imposed on German exports, as the agreement with the European Union is assumed to remain in ...

German economy on a recovery path

Rent Control from Ancient Rome to the Paris Commune: A Historical Context

A shortage of affordable housing can be exacerbated by wars, natural disasters, or rising demand. In response, governments impose rent control, capping rents. This policy has been used on a large scale since World War I and has gained new popularity, with rent brakes introduced in Germany, France, Ireland, and Spain between 2015 and 2023, and with the strengthening of rent control in Austria and the ...

WIMFEH 2026

The annual Workshop for Women in Macroeconomics, Finance and Economic History (WIMFEH) is organized by the DIW Berlin and the University of Bonn. The aim is to bring together female academic researchers and practitioners to promote and exchange ideas in the field of Macroeconomics, Finance, and Economic History.

Sector Coupling Reimagined: Synthesizing Fragmented Perspectives Into a Unified Framework

Sector coupling (SC), the integration of energy vectors and end-use sectors, is increasingly central to the net-zero transition but remains conceptually fragmented. This fragmentation causes modeling inconsistencies, hinders cross-study comparison, and undermines energy policy coordination. We address this gap through a structured mapping of existing definitions, categorizing them along three dimensions, ...

Multi-Threshold Time Series Analysis Enables Characterization of Variable Renewable Energy Droughts in Europe

Variable renewable energy droughts, so called Dunkelflaute events, emerge as a challenge for climateneutral energy systems based on variable renewables. Here we characterize European drought events for on- and offshore wind power, solar photovoltaics, and renewable technology portfolios, using 38 historic weather years and an advanced identification method. Their characteristics heavily depend on the ...

Divorce as Liberation from Violence: The Role of Legal Protection and Women’s Shelters

Does increased legal infrastructure empower victims to leave abusive relationships? Structural barriers often prevent victims of intimate partner violence from seeking help, with two-thirds of female victims in Europe neither reporting incidents nor accessing support. I study Germany’s 2002 Act on Protection against Violence, which introduced residence bans in shared households and temporarily awarded ...

Within-Nation Variation in War Exposure and Psychological and Physical Adjustment

Extensive evidence suggests that war-related trauma negatively affects health, yet its long-term and transgenerational effects on psychological and physical adjustment remain poorly understood. This study examines whether individuals who experienced greater war exposure in early childhood—specifically variation in bombardment intensity across German municipalities during the Second World War—show lower, ...

From Innovation to Impact: How Policy Can Support AI Diffusion: DIW-OECD Industrial Strategy Dialogue

Industrial strategies are not only about the development of new technologies. They also need to ensure conducive conditions for technology diffusion across the economy to unlock productivity potential. This panel draws on recent OECD research on conditions and policy levers that enable AI technology uptake and diffusion across firms. Building on this evidence, the panel will discuss key elements...