On April 22, 2018 Martin Kocher was invited to the ORF Pressestunde. The following topics (among others) were discussed: the federal budget, development of the business location Austria, reforms in the health sector, labor market, pensions.
Links:
Pressestunde on ORF TVThek (April 22, 2018) (in German)

German Economy Booming – But Air is Getting Thinner

The German economy continues to boom, but the air is getting thinner. The upturn in the world economy will continue to stimulate exports; and the domestic economy is also expected to remain buoyant thanks to the exceptionally favorable situation in the labor market. The fiscal measures outlined by Germany’s new government can be expected to stimulate demand. Annual average economic output can be expected to rise by 2.2 percent this year and by 2.0 percent in 2019. Employment will continue to see clear growth, but will be weakened by labor market shortages. The inflation rate will also rise gradually from 1.7 percent this year to 1.9 percent in 2019.
Links:
Press information of April 19, 2018 (pdf)

Egbert Dierker wrote an article published in the Economic Theory Bulletin: "Initial shares can cause Pareto improvements when markets are incomplete".
Links:
Publication in the IHS Repository

On April 26, 2018 Beate Littig will give a lecture entitled "Gerechtigkeit, Ökologie und Gleichberechtigung - oder: Gute Arbeit für alle" in Berlin as part of the series "Transformation unserer Welt - Frieden und nachhaltige Entwicklung im 21. Jahrhundert".
Links:
Organizer's website (in German)

On 9 April, the newly constituted Scientific Advisory Board met for the first time. Points of discussion concerned the recent development of the institute and its agenda until 2020. In the picture: members of the Board with the heads of Research Groups after having enjoyed lunch together.

Link:
Scientific Advisory Board

A new study by Stefan Vogtenhuber finds that social origin effects on education are lower in coordinated economies, and labor market outcomes are more based on merit, than in less regulated liberal systems.
Link:
Free download on Stefan's personal page
Publication in the IHS Repository

On March 6 and 7, 2018 the findings of a large-scale, EU funded, international research project with IHS participation were presented in Brussels to experts and the public. The project developed and tested indicators for European monitoring of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in research performing and research funding organizations. The empirical program included large-scale survey based data collection among European research performing and research funding organizations and researchers as well as an extensive set of case-studies addressing the benefits of RRI for society, economy, science and democracy.
Link:
MoRRI website (reports and presentations)

A decline in revenues due to a mandatory ban on smoking in restaurants seems rather unlikely, states a recent research conducted by the IHS for the NÖ GKK.
Link:
Press release (pdf in German)

Thomas Czypionka was interviewed by ORF TV on the economic effects of the repeal of the general ban on smoking in restaurants.
Links:
ORF Konkret of March 13, 2018 (in German)

Anna Durnová will give an invited talk on "Understanding emotions in post-factual politics" at Charles University Prague on March 15, 2018. She will present the results of her project "Negotiating Truth: Semmelweis, Discourse on Hand Hygiene and the Politics of Emotions" that is funded by the Hertha Firnberg Programme.
Links:
Invitation (in Czech)
Project website

The project's second PLATO PhD school will be staged at the IHS from 12 to 16 March 2018. Three days will be dedicated to research design, and two days to academic writing.
Link:
Project website

At the annual presentation of last year’s results of the Research Promotion Agency Austria (FFG), Martin Kocher emphasized relevance of research and development for Austria’s continued prosperity.
Link:
Press release (in German)

In ZIB 24 of March 7, 2018 Martin Kocher explains EU responses to US President Trump's tariffs and who would be hit hardest.
Link:
ZIB 24 of March 7, 2018 (in German)

Michael Jonas wrote the book contribution ‘Moralisierung der Marktsphäre? – Verantwortungszuschreibung in der Inszenierung von Fairtrade‘ in ‘Reflexive Responsibilisierung – Verantwortung für nachhaltige Entwicklung‘ (edited by Anna Henkel et al., transcript).
Links:
Publication in the IHS Repository (in German)
Publication on publisher‘s website (in German)

Beate Littig gave a talk on ‘Lebensführung revisited. Zur Aktualisierung eines Konzepts im Kontext der sozial-ökologischen Transformationsforschung‘ at the conference ‘Transformationen alltäglicher Lebensführung – Konzeptionelle und zeitdiagnostische Fragen‘ on March 1-2, 2018 at Deutsches Jugendinstitut in Munich.
Links:
Conference Program (pdf in German)
Slides (pdf in German)

"In the tourism sector the funding will be increased, on the other hand the government wants to cut funding - this is a contradiction" says Benjamin Bittschi in an interview about budgetary plans of the government.
Link:
Ö1 Morgenjournal (Feb 27, 2018) (in German)

Organized by Martin Wagner and Robert Kunst the 1^st Vienna Workshop on Economic Forecasting took place on February 15-16, 2018. The workshop featured four keynote speakers, Gianni Amisano (Federal Reserve Board), Tommaso Proietti (University of Rome Tor Vergata), Lucrezia Reichlin (London Business School) and David Turner (OECD), and attracted more than 90 researchers for a lively exchange of ideas on economic forecasting.

Workshop Summary

Beate Littig is a co-organizer of the session 'Transformative indicators and the transformation of work' which takes place at the Future Earth Summit on February 8-9, 2018 in Berlin.

Links:

3rd German Future Earth Summit

The paper "On the Political Feasibility of Increasing the Legal Retirement Age" by Benjamin Bittschi and Berthold Wigger (KIT Karlsruhe) was presented at the CESifo Area Conference on Employment and Social Protectionat the ifo Institute, Munich on April 20.
Link:
CESifo Area Conference Program

In his contribution to the LSE EUROPP blog Robert Braun argues, "Instead of asking whether we need self-driving vehicles, why not ask whether we need cars at all?" He suggests that the development of autonomous mobility hands us the opportunity to rethink our overall mobility strategies.
Link:
Contribution on the LSE EUROPP blog

Following the talk of Kate Raworth (Doughnut Economics) on April 23, 2018 a panel discussion will take place. Beate Littig, Ika Darnhofer and Sigrid Stagl are invited to speak at the panel.
Links:
Zentrum für Globalen Wandel & Nachhaltigkeit (BOKU)

On occasion of the Second Heinrich Neisser Lecture, Dennis Snower presented theses on the future of labor and labor market policy in the digital era. Gerlinde Titelbach, Johannes Kopf (Chairman, AMS) and Erich Foglar (President, ÖGB) joined the lively discussion.
Link:
2nd Heinrich Neisser Lecture

Katrin Auel and Resul Umit wrote an article in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations: ‘Explaining MPs’ communication to their constituents: Evidence from the UK House of Commons‘.
Links:
Publication in the IHS Repository
Publication on publisher‘s website

On March 16, Monika Riedel presented the results of a report on demographic challenges commissioned by the WKO Austria. She also participated in the following panel discussion.
Links:
Summary and pictures of the event (Website WKO - in German)
Research Report in the IHS Repository (in German)

Economic cycle hits its peak

Driven by the broad-based global economic boom, the domestic economy should continue its vigorous expansion. In 2018 and 2019, the Austrian economy is expected to grow by 2.8% and 1.9%, respectively. While the investment cycle slows noticeably, exports and private consumption are supporting the upswing. It is recommended that the current period of high growth is used to achieve a sustainable budgetary stance and to implement urgently needed structural reforms.
Links:
Press information of March 16, 2018 (pdf - long version in German only)
Press information (pdf - short version in English)
Presentation (pdf - in German only)
Economic Forecast

“Yes” with pension reforms, finds a new IHS research financed by a EU Horizon 2020 Grant.
Links:
Summary in a Policy Brief
Details in a Working Paper

On March 16, 2018 Monika Riedel will present the results of a report on demographic challenges commissioned by the WKO Austria. She will also participate in the following panel discussion on the chances that the demographic development offers for the Austrian economy.
Link:
More information on the WKO website (in German)

Beate Littig was part of the scientific advisory staff of Werner Boote's new documentary "The green lie".
Cinema release in Austria is on March 9, 2018.
Links:
Staff list of the movie
Trailer on Youtube
Press material (in German)

Stefan Vogtenhuber, David Baumegger and Lorenz Lassnigg examine supply-demand relationships on the Austrian labor market between 1994 and 2015. Due to educational expansion and structural shifts in employment, highly qualified labor market entrants are increasingly allocated to occupational groups that previously had required less education. As a result, the incidence of formal overqualification has increased, with women being disproportionately affected by job mismatches.
Link:
Publication in the IHS Repository (in German)

Daniela Grozea-Helmenstein and Iain Paterson co-authored a study on macroregional strategies and their links with cohesion policy contracted by the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy and conducted by a consortium led by COWI company. The study investigates the main features of each macro-region (Baltic, Danube, Adriatic and Ionian, and Alpine) through benchmarking analyses of macroeconomic, competitiveness, integration and governance indicators.
Links:
Publications in the IHS Repository (Final Report, Report on EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, Alpine Region, Baltic Sea Region, Danube Sea Region)

Daniela Grozea-Helmenstein wrote a book contribution together with Günther Grohall and Christian Helmenstein about ‘Convergence and Structural Change in Romanian Regions’ published in 'Rumäniens „Rückkehr“ nach Europa' (edited by Barbu, Daniel and Richter, Julia and Schippel, Larisa, nap new academic press).
Links:
Publication on Editor's website
Publication in the IHS Repository

On 22th and 23th January, 2018 Michael Jonas participated at the methodological workshop „Zugänge schaffen“ that was organised by JProf. Sabine Nover, Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar (Germany). Here he participated at a plenary discussion, chaired a session and gave a lecture on „Care: praxeologisch”.
Links:
Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar