DIW Econ GmbH was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) to evaluate the “buyer principle” introduced in 2015 for the marketing of rental properties. Since then, this principle has obliged the initiator of a brokerage service to pay for it (“whoever orders, pays”). The evaluation examines whether the law’s objectives have been achieved and additionally identifies potential needs for an amendment to the law.

The Annual Report on European SMEs 2020/2021, commissioned by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) of the European Commission, reviews the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on EU SMEs in 2020 as well as their expected performance in 2021, after providing a brief overview of their pre-pandemic performance. The report focuses particularly on the digitalisation of European SMEs, as the use of various digital tools in 2020 helped to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

The current study by DIW Econ, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert, DIW Berlin, commissioned by the Bavarian SPD state parliamentary group, examines how the Free State of Bavaria can achieve a just transition into an emission neutral future. For this purpose, the study discusses specific social-ecological measures for the upcoming political reorientation in the sectors of energy, transport, buildings and industry.

DIW Econ conducted the feasibility study “Mobility as a Public Service (MaaPS)” from July 2020 to April 2021. The study aims to gauge the potential of micro-mobility data for public administration and develop concrete technical solutions for the efficient use of the data by local authorities. The “MaaPS” project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure with around 100,000 euros as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.

The current study “Maritime Value-Added and Employment in Germany” makes it possible for the first time to make a scientifically substantiated assessment of the overall economic significance of the industry for Germany. The results can serve as a trend-setting basis for discussion for political decisions at all federal and regional levels.

The study was conducted on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) by a consortium consisting of ISL (Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics), Fraunhofer CML, ETR (Economic Trends Research) and DIW Econ.