IW Director Michael Hüther and his team conduct research on the pressing issues of our time. This includes the issues surrounding the future shape of eurozone governance, as well as the implications of digitalization and structural change in the economy.
Directorate

In close cooperation with the staff of the German Economic Institute, the management team develops scientific publications and content on various, exciting topics. With an interdisciplinary approach, researchers draw on both theoretical models and applied empirics. Historical evidence is put to the test with modern econometric analysis tools in order to derive concrete options for action for current economic policy. In terms of content, the papers span a broad spectrum from current structural change to regulatory policy, past economic crises, and the regulation of capital markets.
The economy and society’s permanent changes affect the productivity growth of industries and entire economies. The institutes’ directorate is intensively deriving the digitization’s’ implications for different economic players and the entire economy. By and large, many different interactions behind the buzzwords “Industrie 4.0”, “demography”, “decabonization”, “productivity” and the aspect of regional convergence are investigated.
Selected Publications
Hüther, Michael / Jung, Markos / Obst, Thomas, 2021, Chancen für Wachstum und Konsolidierung. Arbeitskräftepotenziale der deutschen Wirtschaft, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 10, Köln
Zur Studie
Hüther, Michael, 2019, Das Europa der Regionen. Wie weit trägt das Versprechen auf Konvergenz?, in: List Forum für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik, 45. Jg., Nr. 2, S. 65–95
zum Beitrag
Hüther, Michael / Südekum, Jens / Voigtländer, Michael (Hrsg.), 2019, Die Zukunft der Regionen in Deutschland. Zwischen Vielfalt und Gleichwertigkeit, Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V. (Hrsg.), Köln
Zur Studie
Hüther, Michael, Digitalisierung: Motor im Strukturwandel – Herausforderung für die Wirtschaftspolitik, in: ORDO - Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, 68. Jg., S. 179-215
Zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Naegele, Gerhard, 2012, Demografiepolitik: Herausforderungen und Handlungsfelder, Springer VS, Wiesbaden
zur Studie
German Ordnungspolitik and modern institutional economics' guidance can address market failure of all sorts. Especially, between developing and industrialized economies, substantial institutional differences prevail. Nevertheless, the European Union’s development represents only an imperfect role model for emerging economies – suitable institutions have to be derived country-specific.
Selected Publications
Hüther, Michael, 2022, Welche Zukunft hat die Soziale Marktwirtschaft?, Herder
zum Beitrag
Hüther, Michael / Vogel, Markus, 2021, Souveränität und Verantwortung im Mehrebenensystem. Subsidiarität als Leitmotiv?, in: Wirtschaftsdienst, 101. Jg., Heft 6, S. 439-445
zum Beitrag
Hüther, Michael, 2020, Marktwirtschaft und demokratischer Zusammenhalt – Gegensatz oder notwendige Ergänzung?, in: Christoph Bertram / Thomas Mirow (Hg.), Trotzdem: Was uns zusammenhält. Berichte zur Lage der Nation, S. 131-158, Murmann Verlag
zum Beitrag
Diermeier, Matthias / Hüther, Michael, 2019, Perception and Reality: Economic Inequality as a Driver of Populism?, in: Analyse & Kritik: Journal for Philisophy and Social Theory, Vol 41. No. 2, S. 337-357
zum Beitrag
Hüther, Michael / Bergmann, Knut / Enste Dominik, 2015, Unternehmen im öffentlichen Raum – Zwischen Markt und Mitverantwortung, Springer VS Verlag, Wiesbaden
zur Studie
The ongoing economic crisis caused a structural uncertainty among economic actors. Particularly, the Covid pandemic conveys long lasting uncertainties for the economy. Currently, a scenario of Stagflation including low growth and high inflation seems most probable.
Selected Publications
Hüther, Michael / Diermeier, Matthias / Goecke, Henry, 2021, Erschöpft durch die Pandemie. Was bleibt von der Globalisierung?, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg
zur Studie
Bardt, Hubertus / Dullien, Sebastian / Hüther, Michael / Rietzler, Katja, 2020, For a sound fiscal policy. Enabling public investment, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 6, Köln
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Südekum, Jens, 2020, How to re‐design German fiscal policy rules after the COVID19 pandemic,in: Forum New Economy Working Papers, Nr. 2, Berlin
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Grömling, Michael mit Beznoska, Martin / Demary, Markus, 2020, Wirtschaftspolitische Antworten auf die Corona-Krise – Liquidität hat Vorrang!, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 4, Köln
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Matthias Diermeier / Henry Goecke, 2018,
Die erschöpfte Globalisierung – Zwischen transatlantischer Orientierung und chinesischem Weg, Springer Nature, Wiesbaden 2018 und 2. Auflage 2018
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Bergmann, Knut / Enste Dominik, 2015, Unternehmen im öffentlichen Raum – Zwischen Markt und Mitverantwortung, Springer VS Verlag, Wiesbaden
zur Studie
The capital market supervision’s tightened grip as well as the monetary policy’s quantitative easing affect the different capital market equilibria since the financial crisis. It often remains difficult to isolate the respective action’s specific outcomes, requiring a deepened analysis to derive efficient policy implications.
Selected Publications
Demary, Markus / Hüther, Michael, 2022, How large is the risk of stagflation in the Eurozone?, in: Interconomics, im Erscheinen
Demary, Markus / Hüther, Michael, 2021, Global Inflation: Low for Long or Higher for Longer?, IW-Report, Nr. 12, Köln
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael, 2021, Der lange Schatten der Hyperinflation, in: List Forum für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik, 46. Jg., S. 273-298
zur Studie
Hüther, Michael / Demary, Markus, 2020, Führt die Corona-Krise zu einer Bankenkrise? Anlass zu sorgsamer Beobachtung, nicht aber vorsorglicher Intervention, IW-Policy Paper, Nr. 17, Köln
zur Studie
Demary, Markus / Diermeier, Matthias / Haas, Heide, 2015, A Capital Markets Union for Europe: The Relevance of Banks and Markets, IW policy papers, Nr. 18, Köln
zur Studie
Directorate
Contributions of the directorate

Globalisation under pressure?: How current megatrends shape the patters of international trade, capital flows and technology diffusion
Deglobalisation, digitalisation, decarbonisation, and demographic change have already left their mark on the global economy. In the future the multiple transformations that the international patterns of specialisation undergo are likely to accelerate as the four megatrends mature and unfold their true disruptive potential.
IW

The difficulties of universal redistribution in times of welfare chauvinism
Previous studies have found substantial support across Europe for the creation of a universal basic income system. Yet as Matthias Diermeier and Judith Niehues explain, there is also widespread support for restricting the access of immigrants to state benefits. Drawing on new research, they assess how these two perspectives shape wider attitudes toward welfare.
IW

Towards a nuanced understanding of anti-immigration sentiment in the welfare state: a program specific analysis of welfare preferences
The literature on immigration and the welfare state describes a trade-off between immigration and welfare support. We argue for a more nuanced view of welfare chauvinism that accounts for different motivational channels, specific welfare programs and particular population subgroups.
IW
Workshop of the MPIfG and the German Economic Institute: Local Matters: Regional Inequalities in Public Investments
The neglect of public investments in Germany and elsewhere has not only led to a deterioration of countries’ public capital stocks. In fact, what appears as an aggregate decline actually entails growing divergences between regions that can invest in their infrastructures and those that fall behind.
IW

Acceptance of Parliamentary Procedures in the Light of Individual Problem Perception
A lively democracy thrives on the struggle between different interest groups for majority opinion on specific issues. Though the institutionalised process of balancing interests and hearing opposing points of view takes time, acceptance of these parliamentary procedures is essential for the functioning of our pluralistic democracy.
IW