Ifo Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
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The ifo Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (Information and Forschungs (research)) (Ifo Institute for Economic Research) is one of the most renowned economic research institutions in Germany. It is based in Munich and is dedicated to anylizing economic policy and releasing a monthly Business Climate Index (Geschäftsklimaindex). It is a member of the Leibniz Association
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[edit] Mission
- Providing interested members of the public with economic data.
- To this end the Institute oraganizes seminars and lectures led by various economists and their Business Climate Index among the most prominent economic analyses, and the Institute also publishes several economic periodicals.
- Ascertaining various economic indicators through the questioning of corporations.
- Providing advice to the various political and economic organs in Germany, especially the Federal and State Ministries.
- Developing models to simulate the effects of changes in the German economy.
- Scientific Research
- Untill 1999 the research of the Institute was to be tailored to its advising funciton. Because of pressure of the Economic Council a stronger university research focus was implemented. The Institute works with many German universities, especially the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, as well as with scores of research institutions both in and outside of Germany.
[edit] Report on the German economy
The ifo Institute is one of the leading economic research institutes in Germany that, twice a year (in Spring and Autumn), submit a joint report on the state of the German economy, the so-called Gemeinschaftsdiagnose (joint diagnosis). [1]
The other institutes are:
- Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), in Berlin
- Institut für Weltwirtschaft (IfW), in Kiel
- Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (IWH), in Halle
- Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI), in Essen
- HWWA-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, in Hamburg[2]
[edit] Structure
As a registered association, the structure of the Institute has been lain out in its constitution. As a non-profit oranization its economic and social research is to be soley for the public good. The Institute is current financed roughly two thirds by federal subsidy and one third from the receipts from third-party projects, which are generally also from government bodies in the form of some sort of economic policy advising.
[edit] Members
- President: Dr. Hans-Werner Sinn
- Research Coordinator: Dr. Gerhard Flaig
- Managing Director: Meinhard Knoche
- Staff of roughly 150 people
- Membership is open to the public for a minimum annual fee of 400 Euros
[edit] History
The institute was founded in 1949. Ludwig Erhard, Chancellor of West Germany in the 60's was a founder. In 1993, in order to analyse to simultaneous development of the two parts of Germany (East and West), a twin location was opened in Dresden. Under the presidency of Dr. Hans-Werner Sinn the name of the Institute was expanded to "ifo Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich" and its cooperation with another group led by Dr. Sinn, the Center for Economic Studies (CES) at the university have illustrated the closer relationship with the school and the new focus on research.
[edit] External links
[edit] Sources
This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of January 2, 2006.
[edit] References
- ^ German government Web site Bundesregierung Online (German)
- ^ The HWWA was dissolved as of December 31, 2006. Some of its work will be continued by the Hamburgisches WeltWirtschaftsInstitut (HWWI).
