ZEW - LEIBNIZ-ZENTRUM FUR EUROPAISCHE WIRTSCHAFTSFORSCHUNG GMBH MANNHEIM

Their core work

ZEW is one of Germany's leading economic research institutes, specializing in the economic analysis of innovation, environmental policy, and European competitiveness. Within H2020, they focus on modelling and evaluating the macroeconomic impacts of research and innovation policies — essentially answering the question "does EU R&I spending actually work?" They bring rigorous econometric methods to assess how climate mitigation strategies, innovation union policies, and energy-saving interventions translate into measurable economic outcomes. Their work bridges the gap between policy design and evidence-based evaluation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ZEW's early H2020 involvement (2015-2018) was broad, spanning eco-innovation networks, climate mitigation coordination, innovation policy assessment, and energy-saving behaviour — a wide portfolio of policy evaluation topics. In the later period (2017-2022), their work concentrated more sharply on macroeconomic modelling of R&I impacts (MONROE, FRAME, GROWINPRO), with FRAME being their sole coordinator project. This signals a deliberate move toward becoming a go-to centre for quantifying whether EU research investments generate real economic returns.

ZEW is increasingly positioning itself as the institute that can quantify the macroeconomic return on EU research investment — a role that will only grow in importance as the Commission demands stronger evidence of Horizon programme impact.

How they like to work

ZEW operates primarily as a contributing partner (6 of 7 projects), bringing econometric and modelling expertise to consortia led by others. Their single coordinator role (FRAME) was in their core strength area of R&I impact analysis. With 59 unique partners across 19 countries, they maintain a broad European network rather than working with a closed circle — characteristic of an institute that is regularly sought out for its specific analytical capabilities rather than building consortia around itself.

ZEW has collaborated with 59 unique partners across 19 countries, indicating a wide and well-distributed European network. Their partnerships span universities, research institutes, and policy organisations across most major EU member states, reflecting their role as a trusted provider of economic analysis in diverse consortium settings.

What sets them apart

ZEW occupies a distinctive niche: they are economists who specialise in measuring whether science and innovation policies actually deliver economic results. While many research centres study technology itself, ZEW studies whether the investment in that technology pays off at the macroeconomic level. For consortium builders, this makes them an ideal partner whenever a project needs a credible, independent economic evaluation component — particularly for policy-oriented calls that demand impact assessment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FRAME
  ZEW's only coordinator project (EUR 332K), focused squarely on their core competence — analysing how R&D adoption activities create macroeconomic effects.
• GROWINPRO
  Their largest funded project (EUR 347K) and most recent, investigating the fundamental connections between growth, welfare, innovation, and productivity.
• MONROE
  Built a suite of macroeconomic models to evaluate socio-economic impacts of EU research and innovation spending — a tool-building project with lasting methodological value.