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Studies

Scientific Publications of the Cologne Institute for Economic Research: IW-Trends, IW policy papers, IW-Analysen, IW-Studien, IW-Reports, IW-Kurzberichte and Expertises. Read more about our Approach to Research.

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Collective bargaining autonomy in a crisis of legitimacy?
IW-Policy Paper No. 11 8. December 2023

Collective bargaining autonomy in a crisis of legitimacy?

Hagen Lesch / Helena Bach / Sandra Vogel

In Germany, the employers recognised the trade unions as the appointed representatives of the employees in November 1918.

IW

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Green Nudging – a key against littering?
IW-Policy Paper No. 10 22. November 2023

Green Nudging – a key against littering?

Jennifer Potthoff

The demand for cleanliness in cities is increasing: "Littering" - the illegal littering of public spaces - does not only cause costs for the environment and society, but also has significant financial consequences through increased cleaning costs.

IW

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Data utilisation potentials for companies
IW-Policy Paper No. 8 21. September 2023

Nothing to do with data?: Data utilisation potentials for companies

Barbara Engels

If companies want to survive on the market in the long term, they cannot avoid the topic of data.

IW

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Industrial policy at the turn of the times
IW-Policy Paper No. 7 17. September 2023

Industrial policy at the turn of the times

Michael Hüther / Hubertus Bardt / Cornelius Bähr / Jürgen Matthes / Klaus-Heiner Röhl / Christian Rusche / Thilo Schaefer

The current debate on industrial policy vacillates between the extreme positions of an orthodoxy of rejecting state action and a naive belief in the state's ability to control structural change.

IW

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how much more do we need and what comes next?
IW-Policy Paper No. 5 30. May 2023

The future of natural gas: how much more do we need and what comes next?

Michael Hüther / Malte Küper / Thilo Schaefer

Natural gas has become increasingly important for Germany in the last three decades, be it for heating buildings, providing process heat in industry or generating electricity. At the same time, the dependence on imports of natural gas has risen to almost 100 percent in recent decades, with most of the imports coming from Russia.

IW

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Plan Delors 2.0
IW-Policy Paper No. 4 27. March 2023

Europe must take the next step: Plan Delors 2.0

Michael Hüther / Simon Gerards Iglesias / Melinda Fremerey / Sandra Parthie

In the coming years, the world order of exchange and multilateralism, which has so far been shaped by the West, will lose power, and global institutions will find it increasingly difficult to fulfil their mission of balancing interests and promoting international cooperation and development.

IW

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Banking crisis instead of financial crisis
IW-Policy Paper No. 3 24. March 2023

This time is different but still risky: Banking crisis instead of financial crisis

Michael Hüther

The current crisis of some American and European banks inevitably triggers fears that an international banking crisis could lead to a new financial crisis. But things in 2023 are very different from those in 2007.

IW

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Behavioral economic measures for freedom-preserving energy conservation
IW-Policy Paper No. 2 20. February 2023

Does Nudging Help in the crisis?: Behavioral economic measures for freedom-preserving energy conservation

Dominik Enste / Julia Hensen / Jennifer Potthoff

In view of the impending gas shortage, private households are called upon to reduce their gas and energy consumption. The moral appeals of those in power harbor the danger that people will react with reactance instead of the desired change in behavior.

IW

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Security Policy and Defense Capability after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
IW-Policy Paper No. 1 3. February 2023

A New Era for the Defense Industry?

Klaus-Heiner Röhl / Hubertus Bardt / Barbara Engels

The Russian attack on Ukraine has brought the question of the German Armed Forces’ operational capability back into focus. National defense, which seemed to play only a minor role with the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union in 1991, now has gained a higher political priority again.

IW

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Single Market Emergency Instrument –  An instrument with pitfalls
IW-Policy Paper No. 7 13. October 2022

Single Market Emergency Instrument – An instrument with pitfalls

Hubertus Bardt / Berthold Busch / Christian Rusche / Samina Sultan

The Single Market is one of the most important achievements of the European Union (EU) and it contributes significantly to economic welfare. In fact, most of the international trade of the Member States takes place in the Single Market.

IW

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