KOF Economic Research Center
The KOF Economic Research Center is a Swiss economic research institute at the ETH Zurich . The three main research areas of the Swiss economy, international economy and structural change are located under its umbrella . The KOF was founded in 1938 as part of the Institute for Economic Research at ETH Zurich. It carries out scientifically sound and independent research for the economy, the public sector and private individuals and discusses economic issues of social relevance.
Research priorities
Swiss economy
The central task of the research area “Economic Development in Switzerland” is the empirical and theoretical analysis of the Swiss economy. The regular KOF surveys, their evaluation and the maintenance of the database are essential for this. In addition, there are various partial models for individual components of demand and supply, leading and trailing composite indicators and macroeconomic models of the Swiss economy for medium and long-term economic and growth forecasts.
international economy
The research focus “Switzerland in a globalized world economy” examines questions and problems related to the international economy. Well-founded economic policy analyzes are often only useful if you look beyond borders. Another important focus of this research area is the increasing international interdependence of economies. The researchers are examining the effects of this process known as “globalization” from a specifically Swiss perspective.
Structural change
The research focus “Long-term growth prospects in Switzerland” aims to empirically examine the structures of the Swiss economy. The main focus is on the company and industry level. This allows deeper insights into growth processes and structural change. Building on this, it is possible to work out any implications for economic policy. In addition, the focus is increasingly on studies that allow international comparability.
The KOF is supposedly known for its economic barometer, its economic surveys and its economic forecasts. In 2007, for example, its good reputation in this area prompted the German government to include the KOF among the institutes involved in the joint diagnosis. In addition, the KOF publishes the KOF Index of Globalization every year, which quantifies the global economic, social and political interdependence in the world.
Employee
The KOF currently has around 60 employees, the majority of whom are scientifically active. It is headed by Jan-Egbert Sturm, who also holds the professorship for applied economic research at ETH Zurich.
financing
The KOF is supported by the ETH Zurich and the SGK Swiss Society for Economic Research and thus has a mainstay in science and in business. This allows it to take a politically independent position in economically relevant debates.
National and international contacts
The KOF maintains close contact with domestic and foreign economic researchers and economic research institutes. She is a member of AIECE and Euroconstruct. At the international association of business survey institutes (CIRET) she is the president and leads the secretariat.
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- Society for Economic Research: Minutes of the founding meeting, April 21, 1938
- Society for Economic Research: Articles of Association, April 21, 1938
- KOF / SGK: Portrait of the Business Cycle Research Center and its funding organization, the Swiss Society for Business Cycle Research, 1988
- KOF: KOF business surveys - 50 years on the pulse of the economy, April 2005
- NZZ: Jan-Egbert Sturm new head of KOF, June 29, 2005