Research Centre International Economics (FIW)
The FIW Centre of Competence was established in 2006 by the Austrian Ministry of Economy. The FIW develops a research program which assists external political decisions and activities concerning the European Union and other multinational organisations in a sustainable fashion; it provides access to relevant databases in an easy and transparent way; and it encourages and enhances the development of know-how with regard to foreign economic affairs in Austria.
Collaboration Partners
The FIW-project is a collaboration of four Austrian Universities (i.e. the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), the University of Vienna (univie), the University Innsbruck (UIBK) as well as the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) and the Computing Centre for Economics and Social Sciences (WSR). In addition, the Research Center cooperates with national and international libraries. It organises events in cooperation with foreign partners as well as under participation of international experts (see below: FIW Workshops and FIW Research Conferences).
The FIW project comprises the following key elements:
FIW Website
The FIW Website is the centrepiece of the FIW including a platform for presentation, communication and data. It offers free downloads of all publications prepared within the FIW framework. In addition, it provides information on numerous events and calls.
Lectures and Seminars
Foreign trade lectures is a series of lectures featuring hands-on presentations and discussions of current research in international economics which is of relevance to policy-making.
Seminars in International Economics are organised jointly with the Federal Academy for Public Services (Verwaltungsakademie des Bundes VAB). Starting from 2019/2020 they take the form of a two year curriculum.
FIW Workshops and FIW Research Conferences
Top international economic experts are regularly invited to present papers at FIW workshops and FIW research conferences. International cooperation serves to expand the FIW's circle of networking partners, such as the Institute for Economic Research in Ljubljana (IER), the Institute for East and Southeast European Studies in Regensburg (IOS), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA KRTK), the ifo institute Munich as well as the Universities of Ljubljana, Bologna and Bratislava.
FIW Spotlights
The new FIW Spotlights series highlights current developments in international economics and economic policy in the form of short articles by the FIW team. Interactive graphics visualize the respective topic. All Spotlights can be found here.
FIW Annual Report
On behalf of the BMAW, FIW has published the FIW Annual Report "Austrian foreign trade and Investment" every February since 2020. It contains information on global and Austrian economic and trade developments as well as a short- and medium-term outlook. The FIW Annual Report 2023 (pdf) focuses on the upswing in world trade and current challenges such as supply bottlenecks, the war in Ukraine and commodity prices.
FIW Policy Briefs
The FIW publishes FIW policy briefs on current issues in external economic relations with a special focus on the situation in Austria. Published at irregular intervals, the FIW policy briefs combine research findings with tangible recommendations for action addressed to political and economic decision-makers.
FIW Research Reports - Research Agenda
The Federal Ministry Labour and Economy organises calls for economic research papers. Over 70 FIW research reports have been published so far and are widely quoted by the international research community.
FIW Working Papers
Within the series FIW-Working Papers researchers are given the opportunity to make their most recent findings known to the Austrian research community.
FIW Newsletter
Subscribers to the FIW Newsletter receive news and information on FIW events, publications, database additions etc.
Contact
Trade and Competition Policy Analyses and Strategies: FIW@bmaw.gv.at