WIENER INSTITUT FUR INTERNATIONALE WIRTSCHAFTSVERGLEICHE

Their core work

The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) is an Austrian research centre specializing in comparative economic analysis across Europe, with a strong focus on labour markets, income distribution, and the socioeconomic consequences of structural economic change. Their H2020 work centres on understanding how major transitions — from EU innovation policy impacts to coal phase-outs and technological disruption — affect employment, skills, and inequality across regions. They provide the economic evidence base that policymakers and industry need to design fair transition strategies, particularly for workers and communities most affected by decarbonization and automation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 involvement (I3U, 2015–2018) focused broadly on EU innovation policy impact assessment — a macro-level evaluation exercise. By 2020–2024, their work sharpened into two concrete domains: the socioeconomic fallout of energy transition in coal regions (CINTRAN) and the labour market effects of globalisation and automation (UNTANGLED). The trajectory shows a clear shift from general policy evaluation toward applied, sector-specific transition research with direct implications for workers and regions.

wiiw is moving toward applied research on how green and digital transitions reshape employment and regional economies — expect them to deepen work on just transition, workforce adaptation, and place-based industrial policy.

How they like to work

wiiw operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an analytical contributor rather than a project driver. With 34 unique partners across 18 countries from just 3 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia and bring economic analysis expertise to multidisciplinary teams. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner for coordinators who need rigorous socioeconomic research without management overhead.

Despite only 3 H2020 projects, wiiw has built a remarkably broad network: 34 partners across 18 countries, reflecting their participation in large pan-European consortia. Their reach spans most of the EU, with no indication of narrow geographic clustering.

What sets them apart

wiiw occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of economic transition research and energy policy — they are not an energy technology institute, but rather the team that quantifies what happens to workers, wages, and regions when energy systems change. This makes them an unusual and valuable consortium partner: they bring the socioeconomic impact dimension that technical projects often lack but reviewers increasingly demand. For anyone building a just transition or industrial transformation proposal, wiiw fills the gap between engineering solutions and real-world social consequences.

Highlights from their portfolio

• I3U
  Their largest single EC contribution (EUR 322,656) and earliest H2020 project, assessing the broad impact of the EU Innovation Union — a high-profile policy evaluation exercise.
• CINTRAN
  Directly addresses the politically urgent topic of coal region transitions, combining energy policy with regional development — highly relevant to the European Green Deal agenda.