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Patent Performance of the German Vehicle Industry
  • Oliver Koppel / Thomas Puls / Enno Röben ·
  • IW-Report No. 34 ·
  • 18 September 2018

Patent Performance of the German Vehicle Industry

Trends like power train electrification and autonomous driving are causing a major structural change in vehicle manufacturing. This study will analyse to what extent German vehicle manu-facturers are ready to cope with these challenges.
A Challenging Yet Important Impulse
  • Adriana Neligan for the Conference Board ·
  • Contribution ·
  • 4 May 2018

EU Circular Economy Package: A Challenging Yet Important Impulse

The European Commission aims to push forward the concepts of “recycle, repair and re-use” and waste avoidance with its Circular Economy Package. The rationale behind a circular economy is to keep resources in use for as long as possible by looking at the complete life cycle of a resource – from extraction to product design, production and consumption to waste management.
How much do we need, and how much will we get?
  • Michael Hüther in a Webcast of The Conference Board ·
  • Video ·
  • 25 April 2018

Productivity: How much do we need, and how much will we get?

Why has the productivity been growing so slowly for a very long time? What is driving the recovery and should we take this recovery serious or is this just a temporary phenomenon? These are the Questions, which are discussed in a Webcast of the Conference Board.
Only 10 EU countries on track
  • Adriana Neligan ·
  • IW-Kurzbericht No. 28 ·
  • 18 April 2018

2025 recycling target: Only 10 EU countries on track

Two years after adopting the Circular Economy Package, EU institutions finally agreed on new EU waste rules. Despite lower recycling targets as originally envisaged, most countries still have to push recycling to meet the goals. A single method of determining recycling rates was also decided, but an exemption will continue to allow for disparate recycling rates.
The EU Circular Economy Package
  • Adriana Neligan ·
  • IW-Policy Paper No. 9 ·
  • 18 April 2018

Two years later: The EU Circular Economy Package

The European Commission aims to push forward the concepts of ‘recycle, repair and re-use’ as well as waste avoidance. Two years after adopting the Circular Economy Package, EU institutions finally agreed on new EU waste rules.
An International Comparison of Unit Labour Costs
  • Christoph Schröder ·
  • IW-Trends No. 4 ·
  • 17 January 2018

An International Comparison of Unit Labour Costs

In 2016 unit labour costs in German manufacturing continued high, with figures for the comparator countries averaging 12 per cent below the German level. At 6 percent, the Eurozone’s cost advantage over Germany was only half as high.
The Network of Production and Supply Links between British Industries, the EU and Germany
  • Berthold Busch ·
  • IW-Trends ·
  • 25 July 2017

The Network of Production and Supply Links between British Industries, the EU and Germany

If the British government has its way, when the United Kingdom (UK) withdraws from the European Union (EU), it will also leave the internal market and the customs union. This means that trade between the two economic areas will in future be hobbled by non-tariff trade barriers and, if the worst comes to the worst, by actual tariffs. This may not only mean additional costs for the ultimate consumers, but also affect those companies in the UK and the EU which are linked by value chains.
Digital strategies for greater material efficiency in German industry
  • Adriana Neligan / Edgar Schmitz ·
  • IW-Report No. 3 ·
  • 6 February 2017

Digital strategies for greater material efficiency in German industry

This study delivers the first empirical findings on the relevance of digitisation to improving material efficiency based on the German company survey ‘IW-Zukunftspanel’.
No Excessive Wage Restraint in Germany
  • Christoph Schröder ·
  • IW-Trends No. 4 ·
  • 19 January 2017

An International Comparison of Unit Labour Costs

Unit labour costs in German manufacturing are still high. In 2015 average unit labour costs in selected countries were 11 per cent below the German level, while the Eurozone, with costs only 4 per cent lower than in Germany, had a more moderate advantage.
The fate of plastic bags
  • iwd ·
  • 1 December 2016

Environmental Protection: The fate of plastic bags

The EU wants to drastically reduce the consumption of plastic bags and is hopeful that consumers will switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives. Until 27 November 2016, EU governments had to adopt measures to cut the consumption of plastic carrier bags and report them to the EU Commission as required by the EU Plastic Bag Directive. Germany has opted for a voluntary agreement. This sounds good, but there is more than one obstacle.
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