IFO INSTITUT LEIBNIZ INSTITUT FUR WIRTSCHAFTSFORSCHUNG AN DER UNIVERSITAT MUNCHEN EV

Their core work

The ifo Institute is one of Germany's leading economic research centres, part of the Leibniz Association and affiliated with the University of Munich. They produce empirical economic analysis on trade policy, labour markets, innovation economics, and globalisation — work that directly informs European policymaking. Their H2020 portfolio reflects this focus: studying EU trade and investment policy, causal inference in international education assessments, and pathways to inclusive labour markets. They bring rigorous quantitative economics methods to large-scale European policy questions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects spanning 2017–2023, the evolution is modest but directional. Early participation (EUTIP, OCCAM) involved joining established research networks as a partner, contributing economic expertise to trade policy and education measurement. The most recent project, PILLARS (2021–2023), marks a step up: ifo took the coordinator role and pivoted toward labour market inclusion, inequality, migration, and innovation economics — a broader and more policy-engaged research agenda.

ifo is moving from niche economic measurement toward coordinating large policy-oriented projects on labour inclusion and innovation — expect them to seek partners in employment policy, skills forecasting, and regional economic development.

How they like to work

ifo has acted as both participant and coordinator, with their most recent and largest project (PILLARS) in the coordinator role — suggesting growing ambition to lead consortia. Despite only three projects, they have worked with 51 unique partners across 14 countries, indicating they operate in large, pan-European research networks rather than small bilateral teams. This breadth makes them a well-connected hub in European economic policy research.

Surprisingly broad network for a small H2020 portfolio: 51 consortium partners across 14 countries, driven largely by participation in Marie Skłodowska-Curie training networks and the large PILLARS consortium. Their reach is distinctly pan-European with no obvious geographic bias.

What sets them apart

ifo is not a generic economics department — it is one of Germany's most cited and policy-influential economic research institutes, with decades of reputation behind the ifo Business Climate Index and similar indicators. In H2020, they bring that institutional weight to labour market and trade policy research, offering partners access to deep quantitative methods and strong connections to German and EU policymakers. For consortium builders, partnering with ifo adds credibility and empirical rigour to any socioeconomic work package.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PILLARS
  Their only coordinator role and largest grant (EUR 876K), addressing inclusive labour markets with a wide-ranging keyword profile covering inequality, migration, skills, and innovation economics.
• OCCAM
  Focuses on causal inference methods in international comparative assessments — highlights ifo's strength in rigorous quantitative methodology applied to education policy.