Topic Research and Development

Barriers to humanitarian migration, traumatic events and integration outcomes: Evidence from Germany

In this study we estimate the hidden cost of restrictive migration policies and highlight the need for health-related support among refugees. The traumatic events asylum seekers experience at origin due to exposure to violent conflict and during the journey to the EU may have lasting negative effects on their economic and social integration in the destination country. We hypothesize that...

What do we want? And when do we want it? Alternative objectives and their implications for experimental design.

Summary:  This talk will provide a survey of several papers on the theory and practice of experimental design. I will compare different objectives (estimator precision, outcomes of participants, informing policy choice to maximize average outcomes, and informing policy choice to maximize utilitarian welfare), and their implications for experimental design. I will consider heuristic...

Wrangling and working with 3D-Building Models

The Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) provides 3D-Building models for Germany. The data come in a City-GML (geographical markup language) format, locating every building throughout Germany and providing information such as its ground plan, height, and the building’s purpose. I will provide an overview on the data, its coverage and limitations, as they are available for...

Welche Fakten braucht die Gesellschaft eigentlich?

Sind Daten das neue Gold? Man hat den Eindruck, dass wir alle technischen Finessen ausloten, um an das wertvolle Gut heranzukommen. Was auch immer mit dem Begriff „Daten“ assoziiert wird, scheint diesem Vorhaben Glanz zu verleihen. Entscheidungen, Politik, Management und vieles mehr sollten jetzt „datengesteuert“ sein. Big Data, Machine Learning, Algorithmen und kü...

Microfirms and Innovation in the Service Sector

R&D Spillovers throught RJV Cooperation

We investigate the dimensions through which R&D spillovers are propagated across firms via cooperation through Research Joint Ventures (RJVs). We build on the framework developed by Bloom et al. (2013) which considers the opposing effects of technology spillovers and product market rivalry, and extend it to account for RJVs. Our main findings are that the adverse effects of product market rivalry are ...

Common Ownership in the US Pharmaceutical Industry: A Network Analysis

We investigate patterns in common ownership networks between firms that are active in the US pharmaceutical industry for the period 2004-2014. Our main findings are that “brand firms” — i.e. firms that have R&D capabilities and launch new drugs — exhibit relatively dense common ownership networks with each other that further increase significantly in density over time, whereas the network of “generic ...

Subgroup Analysis of Investment Constraints: Evidence from Ugandan Microenterprises

This study examines the effect of a soft commitment device in the form of a savings goal calendar on savings for small business owners in Kampala, Uganda. We run a randomized controlled trial (RCT) under which the treatment group receives a calendar designed to set savings goals and to make a plan to reach this goal. The control group is given a plain calendar. We find no average effect on savings, ...

Savings Goal Calendars as Soft Commitment Devices: Evidence from Small Business Owners in Uganda

This study examines the effect of a soft commitment device in the form of a savings goal calendar on savings for small business owners in Kampala, Uganda. We run a randomized controlled trial (RCT) under which the treatment group receives a calendar designed to set savings goals and to make a plan to reach this goal. The control group is given a plain calendar. We find no average effect on savings, ...

Substituting Clean for Dirty Energy: A Bottom-Up Analysis

We fit CES and VES production functions to data from a numerical bottom-up optimization model of electricity supply with clean and dirty inputs. This approach allows for studying high shares of clean energy not observable today and for isolating mechanisms that impact the elasticity of substitution between clean and dirty energy. Central results show that (i) dirty inputs are not essential for production. ...