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Benchmarking and Firm Heterogeneity: A Latent Class Analysis for German Electricity Distribution Companies

In January 2009, the German Federal Network Agency introduced incentive regulation for the electricity distribution sector based on results obtained from econometric and nonparametric benchmarking analysis. One main problem for the regulator in assigning the relative efficiency scores is unobserved firm-specific factors such as network and technological differences. Comparing the efficiency of different ...

The Globalization of Steam Coal Markets and the Role of Logistics: An Empirical Analysis

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive multivariate cointegration analysis of three parts of the steam coal value chain - export, transport and import prices. The analysis is based on a rich dataset of international coal prices; in particular, we combine data on steam coal prices with freight rates, covering the period December 2001 until August 2009 at weekly frequency. We then test whether the ...

R&D Efficiency and Barriers to Entry: A Two Stage Semi-Parametric DEA Approach

This paper assesses the relative efficiency of knowledge production in the OECD using a nonparametric DEA approach. In general, resources allocated to R&D are limited and therefore must be used efficiently, given the institutional and legal constraints. The efficiency scores presented are based on an intertemporal frontier estimation for the period 1995 to 2004. We analyse the impact of the regulatory ...

Unobserved Heterogeneity and Efficiency Measurement in Public Transport

Efficiency measurement in public transport requires an adequate account of unobserved network characteristics that are typically modelled as factors separable from the production process. This paper proposes a panel data model that allows for non-separable firm-specific heterogeneity in an input distance function. The proposed model is applied to a sample of German and Swiss urban transit companies ...

Do Tuition Fees Affect the Mobility of University Applicants? Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Several German states recently introduced tuition fees for university education. We investigate whether these tuition fees influence the mobility of university applicants. Based on administrative data of applicants for medical schools in Germany, we estimate the effect of tuition fees on the probability of applying for a university in the home state. We find a small but significant reaction: The probability ...

Financial Student Aid and Enrollment in Higher Education: New Evidence from Germany

Means-tested student aid might affect enrollment in higher education. To derive the potential influence of student aid, we use a tax-benefit microsimulation model. The effect is a non-linear function of parental income, with variation as a result of bracket creeping and various reforms. Therefore, the effect of student aid on enrollment can be separated from the effects of income and other family characteristics. ...

Survey of Photovoltaic Industry and Policy in Germany and China

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies have demonstrated significant price reductions, but large-scale global application of PV requires further technology improvements and cost reductions along the value chain. We survey policies in Germany and China and the industrial actors they can encourage to pursue innovation, including deployment support, investment support for manufacturing plants and R&D support ...

Biografische Drift und zweite Chance: Bildungs- und Berufsverläufe von Migrantennachkommen in Deutschland und Frankreich

Bildungsungleichheiten und Privatschulen in Deutschland

The End of Cheap Coal? A Techno-Economic Analysis until 2030 Using the COALMOD-World Model

Questions about the future availability of inexpensive coal supplies are rising. In this paper a numerical model is developed to investigate the evolution of the international market for steam coal used for electricity generation. The "COALMOD-World" model is an equilibrium model that computes future trade flows, infrastructure investments and prices until 2030. The model includes the major domestic ...