North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the most populous of Germany’s sixteen states and an industrial heartland, is a particular focus of the energy transition. Despite considerable progress in expanding the use of renewable energy, NRW still lags far behind other German states.

Martin Beznoska / Björn Kauder / Finn Arnd Wendland IW

The import and export dependency of German manufacturing branches on China at the intermediate input level is calculated here by evaluating the international input-output tables of FIGARO (Full International and Global Accounts for Research in Input-Output Analysis), which are provided by Eurostat with data as of 2020. On the import side, FIGARO data provide a better picture of the import dependency of industrial branches than the usual foreign trade statistics, because the latter also include imports from China that go into final demand here.

Berthold Busch / Jürgen Matthes / Samina Sultan IW

With the increasing shortage of skilled labour against the backdrop of demographic change and the changing demands on employees in the context of digitalisation, decarbonisation and de-globalisation, it is becoming increasingly important for Germany and Europe that the working population achieves the highest possible level of qualification.

Wido Geis-Thöne IW

In an article for Atlantik Brücke, IW Director Michael Hüther and Jürgen Matthes, head of the IW's Global and Regional Markets cluster, assess the implications of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), effective January 1, 2023, for German and European business.

Michael Hüther / Jürgen Matthes IW

Natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce, one reason being that significantly more natural raw materials are currently being mined and processed worldwide than Earth can provide over the same period.

Sarah Fluchs / Adriana Neligan IW

While the citizenship says little about the state of integration of adults, it is a good indicator of a recent migration history in the case of children.

Wido Geis-Thöne IW

Debate on whether the European Union (EU) should accept new members has recently gained momentum. In June 2022, just months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Council granted both the latter nation and the Republic of Moldova the status of candidate country, and Georgia the status of potential candidate.

Berthold Busch / Samina Sultan IW

The rise of populist radical right parties (PRRPs) is largely seen to have been triggered by a dealignment between voters and political elites and to have triggered an increasing supply of misinformation.

Matthias Diermeier at European Political Science Review IW

Calls for the reduction in state pension benefits for early retirees to reflect real insurance risks imply that early retirement need not involve any additional costs.

Jochen Pimpertz IW