The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim is a non-profit and independent institute with the legal form of a limited liability company (GmbH). Founded in 1990 on the basis of a public-private initiative in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in co-operation with the University of Mannheim, ZEW is one of Germany's leading economic research institutes, and enjoys a strong reputation throughout Europe. ZEW pursues four key objectives:
To conduct research of the highest quality
To provide scientifically grounded economic policy advice
To train up-and-coming economists, and
To inform the professional and lay public
The institute addresses on decision-makers in politics, business, and administration, scientists in the national and international arena as well as the interested public. Frequent surveys on the situation on the financial markets and the business situation of the information economy as well as the large-scale annual study on innovation activities in the German economy are representative for the different types of information provided by ZEW.
