Kiel Institute for the World Economy

What Kiel Institute for the World Economy does

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) is an independent, non-profit economic research institute and think tank founded in 1914 and headquartered in Kiel, Germany, with a secondary office in Berlin for federal policy engagement. It operates as a member of the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft), the German umbrella organization of more than 90 non-university research institutions, and is financed primarily through public research funding from federal and state governments. The institute's stated mission is to combine cutting-edge academic research with visible policy impact on national and international economic affairs.

Its research is organized around five research centers (Macroeconomics, International Finance, Trade, International Development, and Global Transformation) and five specialized initiatives (Kiel Geoeconomics Initiative, Kiel Defence Economics Initiative, China Initiative, Africa Initiative, and Kiel Centre for Globalization). The institute has built a portfolio of proprietary data products that differentiate it from peer research organizations, most notably the Ukraine Support Tracker (tracking military and financial aid to Ukraine), the Kiel Trade and Tariffs Monitor, the Kiel Military Procurement Tracker, the Kiel Trade Indicator, the German Real Estate Index (GREIX), the Africa Monitor, and the nordwärts-Dashboard (tracking structural change in northern Germany).

The institute does not operate a commercial revenue model; publications, datasets, and conference content are disseminated openly through its website, a public Data Hub, social media channels, and peer-reviewed academic journals (including the American Economic Review, Journal of Finance, and Journal of International Economics). Its stakeholders are government policymakers, the academic and research community, and increasingly the broader public and media, served through research output, expert commentary, conferences (including the Global Economy Prize ceremony and the Kiel-CEPR Geoeconomics Conference hosted at the German Federal Foreign Office), and strategic partnerships with institutions such as CEPR, the Auswärtiges Amt, Ifo, DIW, and ZEW.

Name

Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Legal name

Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Website

https://ifw-kiel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy is an independent German economic research institute and Leibniz Association member, founded in 1914, that produces policy-relevant macroeconomic research and unique datasets (Ukraine Support Tracker, Kiel Trade and Tariffs Monitor) for governments, academia, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Research and Policy Analysis

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Economic research
• Policy analysis
• Macroeconomic forecasting
• Global trade research
• Development economics

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy is an economic research institute that conducts independent research on global economic developments, produces policy analysis and macroeconomic data tools, and provides evidence-based recommendations to policymakers, institutions, and the public.

Product overview

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy is a research institute that provides a portfolio of data tools and research centers focused on global economic affairs. Its core data offerings include the Ukraine Support Tracker, German Real Estate Index (GREIX), Kiel Trade and Tariffs Monitor, Kiel Military Procurement Tracker, Africa Monitor, and the nordwärts-Dashboard. These are complemented by five research centers (Macroeconomics, International Finance, Trade, International Development, and Global Transformation) and five specialized initiatives (Kiel Geoeconomics Initiative, Kiel Defence Economics Initiative, China Initiative, Africa Initiative, and Kiel Centre for Globalization). The institute combines cutting-edge research with visible policy impact through its unique datasets and economic analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Research found that 96% of US tariff costs are borne by American consumers and importers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Leibniz AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kiel Institute is a member of the Leibniz Association, a German scientific association comprising non-university research institutes. This partnership provides institutional framework, shared resources, and collaboration opportunities with other leading German research institutions.
• CEPR (Center for Economic Policy Research)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint conference organization including the 5th Kiel-CEPR Conference on Geoeconomics in Berlin, demonstrating deep research collaboration in international economics.
• International Visiting Professorships ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute hosts international visiting professors, fostering academic exchange and collaborative research relationships with institutions worldwide.
• Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 5th Kiel-CEPR Conference on Geoeconomics is hosted at the Auswärtiges Amt, indicating collaboration on geopolitical economic research with German foreign policy institutions.
• Ifo Institute, DIW, ZEWmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kiel Institute collaborates with Germany's four major research institutes (Ifo, DIW, ZEW, and Kiel Institute) on joint economic assessments, including analyses of Germany's reform packages and economic policy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research): Leibniz-affiliated economic research institute delivering macroeconomic analysis and policy advice. DIW and Kiel collaborate on joint German economic assessments and compete for media attention and policy mandates.
• Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH): Halle-based Leibniz economic research institute focused on productivity, financial markets, and structural change in East Germany. Part of the same four-institute German economic forecasting consortium with Kiel, Ifo, DIW, and ZEW.
• Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR): International network of academic economists producing policy-relevant research. CEPR co-organizes the Geoeconomics Conference series with Kiel and serves as a comparable hub for European economic policy research.
• ifo Institute – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research: Munich-based Leibniz economic research institute with similar mission, funding model, and policy advisory role. Ifo and Kiel jointly produce economic assessments and compete for the same German and European policymaker audience.
• Bruegel: Brussels-based European economic think tank producing independent research on European and global economics. Highly comparable in mission, policy advisory role, and European policymaker audience.
• Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE): Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on international economics, trade, and geoeconomics. PIIE is highly comparable in research areas (tariffs, China, global trade) and policy advisory positioning.
• ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research: Mannheim-based Leibniz economic research institute specializing in European economic policy, markets, and industrial economics. ZEW is one of the four major German economic institutes and operates under an identical funding model.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Large U.S. policy research organization with a broader mandate covering defense, security, and economic policy. Comparable in producing policy-relevant research and operating proprietary datasets, though with significantly larger scale and broader topic coverage.
• Brookings Institution: Major U.S. policy think tank with a substantial economic studies program. Comparable in convening authority and policy advisory role, though operating as a much broader multi-topic policy institution.

Regional players

• Centre for European Reform (CER): London-based think tank focused on EU economic policy and reform. Comparable in producing European-focused economic analysis and policy recommendations, though operating from a UK-based perspective and without Kiel's dataset infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kielinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6KEgfpzS6ucREQj1vVr0wA
• Facebookfacebook.com/kielinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kiel-institute-for-the-world-economy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kiel Institute for the World Economy