Dezernat Zukunft - Institut für Makrofinanzen

What Dezernat Zukunft - Institut für Makrofinanzen does

Dezernat Zukunft e.V. (Institut für Makrofinanzen) is a Berlin-based, tax-exempt non-profit think tank that produces macroeconomic and fiscal policy research for Germany and the European Union. The organization operates through four specialized research labs — Growth & Budget Lab, Energy Lab, Business Lab, and Price Lab — each led by a director or co-founder, covering topics including debt rules reform, public investment gaps, energy transition financing, industrial policy, and price formation. Its core products are policy publications (Geldbrief newsletter, Fachtext papers, and Geldbrief articles), two interactive data tools (Haushaltstracker for federal spending and Investitionstracker for private investment), and the bi-weekly 'Die Geldfrage' podcast hosted by Managing Director Philippa Sigl-Glöckner.

The institute's distinctive technical component is its proprietary data infrastructure: the Haushaltstracker and Investitionstracker aggregate and visualize German federal budget and private investment data in formats usable by policymakers and journalists. All content is published under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license, removing paywalls while blocking commercial reuse. The organization reaches policymakers, economists, media (ZDF, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Handelsblatt, Le Monde, BBC), and informed citizens through a multi-channel distribution approach spanning newsletter, podcast, social media (LinkedIn, X, Bluesky), and co-organized events.

As a registered e.V. (eingetragener Verein, registration number 36980 B in Vereinsregister Charlottenburg), Dezernat Zukunft operates a donation-funded non-profit model with no commercial product sales. Its revenue depends on voluntary contributions from individuals and organizations, with no disclosed institutional grants, foundation funding, or membership fees. The organization sells no products or services, and its strategic value lies in policy influence rather than financial return. Coopetition with think tanks across Europe is evident through the European Macro Policy Network (EMPN) and bilateral partnerships (Agora Energiewende, Freie Universität Berlin, GPPi, IPE Netherlands).

Name

Dezernat Zukunft - Institut für Makrofinanzen

Legal name

Dezernat Zukunft e.V.

Website

https://dezernatzukunft.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dezernat Zukunft is a Berlin-based non-profit economic research institute producing macroeconomic and fiscal policy analysis for German and European policymakers, economists, and media through four research labs, two data tools, and a podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Macro & Rates Research (FSACAGAC)

Keywords

• Macrofinance research
• Fiscal policy analysis
• Economic policy think tank
• Public finance research
• Industrial policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: The institute accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support its research activities. Website features a dedicated 'Spenden' (donate) page.
2. Publication and Research Dissemination: Research publications are freely available under CC BY-NC 4.0 license. No direct revenue from publications; the institute operates as a non-profit organization (e.V.) focused on public good research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dezernat Zukunft is a German non-profit economic research institute (Institut für Makrofinanzen) that produces evidence-based policy analysis on macrofinance, fiscal policy, debt sustainability, industrial policy, and the energy transition for Germany and Europe. It operates four research labs (Growth & Budget, Energy, Business, Price), two interactive public data tools (Haushaltstracker and Investitionstracker), a bi-weekly newsletter (Geldbrief), and a podcast (Die Geldfrage), making its research freely available under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Product overview

Dezernat Zukunft is a German economic research institute organized around four specialized research labs (Growth & Budget Lab, Energy Lab, Business Lab, and Price Lab) that produce publications, policy papers, and expert commentary on macrofinance, fiscal policy, energy policy, and industrial policy. The institute operates two main data tools: the Haushaltstracker (Budget Tracker) for tracking federal government spending, and the Investitionstracker (Investment Tracker) for monitoring private-sector investment in Germany. Content dissemination occurs through the 'Die Geldfrage' podcast, the biweekly 'Geldbrief' newsletter, and various publications (Geldbrief articles, Fachtext/analysis papers, and Dashboard tools). The organization functions as a non-profit think tank rather than a software product company, with its outputs being research publications and policy recommendations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Die Geldfrage: Podcast hosted by Managing Director Philippa Sigl-Glöckner covering economic, fiscal, and monetary policy topics
• Growth & Budget Lab
• Energy Lab
• Business Lab
• Price Lab
• Haushaltstracker
• Investitionstracker
• Der Geldbrief

Products and services

• Haushaltstracker (Budget Tracker) Interactive data tool that tracks German federal government spending and shows how federal finances have evolved over recent years, made freely available to inform public and policy debate.
• Investitionstracker (Investment Tracker) Overview of private-sector investment in Germany, showing where investments are being made across different sectors and regions, freely available with attribution.
• Die Geldfrage Podcast Biweekly German-language podcast in which Managing Director Philippa Sigl-Glöckner discusses pressing economic, fiscal, and monetary policy topics with rotating expert guests; explains complex economic issues accessibly without oversimplifying, aimed at interested laypeople and policy insiders; distributed via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.
• Geldbrief Newsletter Bi-weekly German-language newsletter covering current issues in economic, fiscal, and monetary policy, delivered directly to subscribers via email.
• Growth & Budget Lab Research division that produces evidence-based analyses on fiscal policy, growth policy, and sustainable public finances for Germany and the EU, led by Dr. Florian Schuster-Johnson.
• Energy Lab Research division producing analyses on energy affordability, security, and sustainability at the intersection of climate, energy, and financial policy, led by Janek Steitz.
• Business Lab Research division delivering analyses on industrial policy and how good economic policy creates good jobs in Germany and Europe, led by Dr. Maximilian Paleschke.
• Price Lab Research division examining how prices are formed in market economies and the implications for economic policy, led by Dr. Max Krahé.

Quantifiable outcome

• Social welfare reform proposal could create 4-5 billion EUR fiscal space, with 100,000 full-time equivalent jobs added
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Agora EnergiewendecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on LNG, energy security and climate protection research. Produced joint background paper 'LNG, Energiesicherheit und Klimaschutz: Wege aus dem Spannungsfeld' examining the tension between energy security and climate goals.
• European Macro Policy Network (EMPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cooperation network for macro policy. Janek Steitz serves as board member. Network organizes joint conferences including the Den Haag event on industrial and energy policy coordination with Dutch partners.
• Freie Universität Berlin - Freigeist Research GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organizes the 'Ideas of Energy' English-language event series with the Freigeist research group on geopolitics in offshore finance.
• Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing the 'Ideas of Energy' discussion series covering energy and geopolitics topics.
• Institut für Makrofinanzen (IPE), NetherlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch partner in the European Macro Policy Network. Co-organized the conference 'From Windmills to Semiconductors' in Den Haag on industrial policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jacques Delors Centre (Hertie School): Berlin-based European policy think tank focusing on EU economic and fiscal policy. Comparable on European fiscal-rule analysis, Germany-Brussels policy translation, and academic-policy hybrid positioning.
• DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research): Leading German economic research institute producing applied macroeconomic and fiscal policy analysis. Directly comparable on policy research, public-affairs outreach, and data products, but with a much larger permanent staff and government-linked funding base.
• IMK (Macroeconomic Policy Institute, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung): Düsseldorf-based macroeconomic policy institute focused on fiscal, labor, and distributional analysis. Closely comparable in fiscal-rule debate positioning and policy advocacy, with similar labor and inequality research footprint.
• Agora Energiewende: Berlin-based energy policy think tank producing economic analyses of the German Energiewende. Closely comparable on energy-climate-finance intersection research and an explicit cooperation partner of Dezernat Zukunft.
• ifo Institut – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung: Munich-based economic research institute publishing the ifo Business Climate Index and applied macroeconomic research. Comparable on policy-facing economic analysis and data products, but with significantly larger scale and longer institutional track record.
• Forum New Economy: Small Berlin-based economic think tank focused on heterodox macroeconomic and industrial policy. Closely comparable in size, profile, mission, and explicit fiscal-rule reform orientation.

Broad incumbents

• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank covering EU economic, fiscal, and industrial policy. Comparable on EU-level policy research and convening role, but broader in scope than Dezernat Zukunft's German fiscal focus.
• Bruegel: Brussels-based leading European economic think tank with broad macroeconomic, fiscal, and industrial policy research. Highly comparable research agenda and policy-advocacy positioning, but with substantially larger scale and EU-wide mandate.
• Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP): Berlin-based foreign and security policy institute with growing economic-policy work. Comparable on parliamentary access, Berlin policy ecosystem, and government-adjacent research positioning.

Others

• Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi): Berlin-based independent public policy institute working on global governance, security, and energy policy. Comparable on Berlin-based independent policy research and is an explicit co-organizing partner of the Ideas of Energy series.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DezernatZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dezernat-zukunft
• Instagraminstagram.com/fl_schuster

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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