WIFO

What WIFO does

WIFO (Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung / Austrian Institute of Economic Research) is a non-profit economic research institute founded in 1927 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria (Arsenal, Objekt 20, 1030 Wien). It provides evidence-based macroeconomic forecasting, policy analysis, and commissioned research to Austrian federal ministries, the Austrian Parliament, federal states, the European Commission, the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), social partner organizations (Chamber of Labour, Federal Economic Chamber, Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions), and select private-sector clients. The institute is organized into five research groups — Macroeconomics and Public Finance; Labor Market Economics, Income and Social Security; Industrial, Innovation and International Economics; Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis; and Climate, Environmental and Resource Economics — with cross-cutting thematic platforms covering ageing, digital transformation, green transformation, European integration, supply chains, distribution, and competitiveness.

WIFO's core technology stack centers on proprietary economic models and databases. This includes the WIFO-Micromod dynamic microsimulation model for analyzing policy interventions on households and individuals; the KITE model for macroeconomic and trade impact analysis (e.g., Strait of Hormuz blockade scenarios); Input-Output models at the Austrian district, federal state, EU, and world-region level; econometric methods for causal effect measurement; and the WIFO Data System (WDS) and WIFO-Wirtschaftsdaten databases. Its flagship data asset is the WIFO-Konjunkturtest, a monthly business cycle survey of approximately 1,600 Austrian companies, which feeds the WIFO-Konjunkturampel (Business Cycle Traffic Light) and the quarterly WIFO-Konjunkturprognose forecasts. Outputs are published through WIFO-Monatsberichte, WIFO-Studien, WIFO Reports on Austria, WIFO Working Papers, WIFO Research Briefs, and the peer-reviewed journal Empirica (with Springer).

WIFO's business model combines three revenue streams: institutional base funding from the Austrian government, grants from EU research framework programmes (notably Horizon Europe), and commissioned research studies for ministries, federal agencies, the OeNB, regional governments, and organizations such as the Austrian Raiffeisen Association and the Public Employment Service. It is not a commercial vendor; research outputs are published openly and the institute functions as a public-good scientific advisor. The GTM motion is sales-led through government advisory relationships and academic publication channels, with a dedicated Communications department serving as primary media contact. Distribution occurs through direct digital publication, academic peer-reviewed journals, government advisory services, and EU/international research networks (EUROFRAME, EUROCONSTRUCT, FIW).

Name

WIFO

Legal name

Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung

Website

https://wifo.ac.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) is a non-profit economic research institute founded in 1927, providing macroeconomic forecasting, policy analysis, and commissioned studies to Austrian federal ministries, Parliament, and the European Commission, alongside social partners and the OeNB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Research and Macroeconomic Forecasting

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Macro & Rates Research (FSACAGAC)

Keywords

• Macroeconomic forecasting
• Economic policy analysis
• Microsimulation modeling
• Business cycle research
• Commissioned economic studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Base Funding: Core institutional funding from Austrian government sources
2. EU Research Framework Programmes: Funding through Horizon Europe and other EU research programmes
3. Commissioned Research Studies: Contract research for Austrian ministries, federal agencies, regional governments, and international organizations. Examples include studies for Austrian Raiffeisen Association, Austrian Public Employment Service, Austrian National Bank, and various federal ministries

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WIFO conducts independent economic research and provides macroeconomic forecasting, business cycle analysis, regional and labor market studies, and policy impact assessments primarily for Austrian and European public institutions. It also delivers commissioned research, survey infrastructure (WIFO-Konjunkturtest), economic databases (WDS), and proprietary simulation models (WIFO-Micromod, KITE) to support evidence-based policymaking.

Product overview

WIFO (Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung / Austrian Institute of Economic Research) is a non-university economic research institute founded in 1927, providing evidence-based economic research and policy advice to Austrian and European decision-makers. The organization operates a portfolio of research services centered around economic forecasting and analysis, including the WIFO-Konjunkturtest (business cycle survey), WIFO-Konjunkturprognose (economic forecasts), and WIFO-Konjunkturbericht (quarterly reports). Key data products include WIFO-Wirtschaftsdaten and WDS (WIFO-Daten-System) for accessing economic databases, while visualization tools such as the WIFO-Konjunkturampel present findings visually. The institute publishes its research through multiple channels: WIFO-Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO-Studien, WIFO Research Briefs, WIFO Working Papers, WIFO Reports on Austria, and the peer-reviewed journal Empirica. WIFO also develops specialized economic models including WIFO-Micromod for microsimulation analysis and the KITE-Modell for macroeconomic impact assessment. Additional offerings include surveys, the WIFO.tv video platform, and the Transformationsradar for monitoring energy transition progress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WIFO-Konjunkturtest (Business Cycle Survey)
• WIFO-Konjunkturprognose (Economic Forecast)
• WIFO-Konjunkturbericht (Quarterly Business Cycle Report)
• Wöchentlicher WIFO-Wirtschaftsindex (WWWI)
• WIFO-Monatsberichte
• WIFO-Studien
• WIFO Reports on Austria
• Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnung (National Accounts Data and Analysis)
• WIFO Research Briefs
• WIFO Working Papers
• WIFO-Wirtschaftsdaten (Economic Data Service)
• WDS – WIFO-Daten-System
• WIFO-Konjunkturampel (Business Cycle Traffic Light)
• Empirica Journal
• WIFO-Micromod Microsimulation Model
• KITE-Modell
• WIFO-Lebenssituationsindex
• Surveys
• WIFO.tv Video Platform
• Transformationsradar
• Commissioned Research Studies

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly business cycle surveys covering approximately 1,600 Austrian companies for economic sentiment analysis
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• ASCII (Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIFO collaborates with ASCII on supply chain research and serves as interface for the institute's supply chain platform activities. ASCII strategic expert dialogues and panel discussions are hosted at WIFO.
• FIW (Forschungsinstitut für Internationale Wirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research network on international economics; FIW and WIFO publish joint reports including the Annual Report on Foreign Trade; FIW-Award administered for outstanding dissertations in international economics
• EUROFRAME (European Economic Research Group)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research network conducting economic policy analysis; WIFO co-organizes and hosts the annual EUROFRAME Conference on Economic Policy Issues in Europe
• EUROCONSTRUCTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean construction research network providing forecasts for European construction markets; WIFO participates in bi-annual EUROCONSTRUCT conferences
• Empirica Journal (Springer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIFO publishes the academic journal Empirica in cooperation with Springer, covering empirical economic research
• OEAWI (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for joint research projects including SIMPACT on migration impact analysis
• Korea Institute of Public FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation in fiscal policy research; joint development of a detailed model for public finances
• CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy AnalysisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organization of the 22nd Euroframe Conference on Economic Policy Issues in Europe
• Warsaw School of EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAIRGEN project partner for shaping fair intergenerational policies
• Universität LjubljanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAIRGEN project partner for intergenerational policy research
• Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAIRGEN project partner in EU Framework Programme
• Statistics AustriacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSIMPACT project partner for hybrid microsimulation-ABM approach to migration impact analysis
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIMPACT project partner for advanced systems analysis in migration research
• Umweltbundesamt GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for sustainability reporting of Austrian agriculture study
• Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for open access network research in Austria

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bruegel: European economic policy think tank focused on EU-level economic analysis. Overlaps with WIFO's European integration and EU governance thematic platform and similar policy advisory audience.

Direct peers

• ifo Institute (ifo Institut – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung): Germany's leading economic research institute and one of WIFO's closest direct peers. Both conduct macroeconomic forecasting, business cycle surveys (ifo Konjunkturtest mirrors WIFO-Konjunkturtest), policy advisory, and publish flagship monthly reports for government and public clients.
• CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Economic Policy Analysis: Dutch government economic policy analysis bureau that co-organizes the Euroframe Conference with WIFO. Closely comparable in mission, forecasting methodology, and institutional policy advisory role.
• IHS – Institut für Höhere Studien: Austrian economic and social research institute operating in the same Vienna-based policy advisory space as WIFO. Competes directly for Austrian government commissioned studies, social partnership research, and policy advisory mandates.
• IfW Kiel (Kiel Institute for the World Economy): International economic research institute with strong forecasting and global trade focus. Peer in Euroframe network together with WIFO, and competes for similar EU and government advisory mandates.
• DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung): German economic research institute under the Leibniz Association with a comparable applied-economics, policy-advisory model. Competes with WIFO for EU framework funding and academic publication visibility in similar research areas.
• IWH – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle: German economic research institute focused on productivity, structural change, and financial markets. Operates a comparable public-sector research model and is a fellow member of the Leibniz Association alongside ifo, DIW, and ZEW.
• ZEW – Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung: Mannheim-based economic research institute with parallel focus on industrial economics, innovation, and European policy research. Comparable in scale, research group structure, and government advisory function to WIFO.

Others

• OECD LEED Programme / EU JRC: Joint Research Centre of the European Commission provides economic research and modelling support to EU institutions, functioning as a parallel publicly funded research infrastructure that complements WIFO's work in EU framework studies.

Broad incumbents

• OECD Economics Department: Multilateral economic research and policy analysis body with which WIFO collaborates on cross-country economic studies. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same applied macroeconomics and policy research space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WIFOat
• Facebookfacebook.com/WIFOat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wifoat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WIFO