ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy

What ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy does

ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy is an academic research cluster founded in 2019 as a joint initiative of the University of Bonn (established 1818, University of Excellence since 2019) and the University of Cologne (one of the oldest and largest in Europe), hosted within the Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI, founded 2017). It is Germany's only Cluster of Excellence in Economics and neighboring disciplines, funded under the federal Excellence Strategy by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Approximately 150 leading researchers across economics, law, management, political science, psychology, and sociology conduct interdisciplinary research organized around seven areas: Behavioral Foundations, Theoretical Foundations, Equality of Opportunity, Labor Markets and Organizations, Design of Organizations and Markets, Stability and Distribution, and Political Economy.

The cluster's core research methodology explicitly combines model-based theoretical approaches with behavior-based empirical approaches, accounting for bounded rationality, social preferences, and deviations from standard decision-making models. Its research infrastructure includes the ECONtribute Data Lab with access to Eikon, WRDS, and Compustat, the Bonn EconLab (Europe's oldest experimental economics lab, founded 1984), and the Cologne Laboratory for Economic Research (CLER) with capacity for 68 test clients. Outputs comprise peer-reviewed journal papers, discussion papers, policy briefs, and the German-language podcast "Der Wirtschaftspodcast," plus the Selten Lecture series, the Young ECONtribute Program (YEP) doctoral training pathway, ECONtribute Research Fellows and International Faculty visitor programs, and Selten Seeding/Selten Grants.

ECONtribute does not operate a commercial revenue model. Funding flows from the DFG through the Excellence Strategy, a joint program of the Federal Government and the Länder. Research outputs are published open access with no paid pricing tier. The organization serves academic researchers, doctoral students, policymakers seeking evidence-based analysis of market failures and policy interventions, and the German-speaking general public via its lecture, podcast, and media outreach channels. Office operations are based in Bonn (Niebuhrstraße 5, 53113) and Cologne (Universitätsstraße 22a, 50923), with the Bonn location serving as the main cluster site. Leadership comprises Cluster Spokespersons Prof. Dr. Thomas Dohmen and Prof. Dr. Matthias Heinz, with Dr. Carola Braun as Managing Director.

Name

ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy

Legal name

ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy

Website

https://econtribute.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Germany's only Cluster of Excellence in Economics and neighboring disciplines, jointly run by the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and funded by the German Research Foundation under the Excellence Strategy; it conducts interdisciplinary research on markets and public policy with ~150 affiliated researchers and produces open-access papers, policy briefs, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Economic Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Economics, Finance & Funding Policy Research (EDADADAE)

Keywords

• Economic research cluster
• Behavioral economics research
• Public policy research
• Interdisciplinary economics
• Academic research excellence

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. German Excellence Strategy Funding: Funded as Cluster of Excellence under the German Excellence Strategy since January 2019 by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The Excellence Strategy is a program of the Federal Government and the Länder to strengthen cutting-edge research at German universities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ECONtribute is an interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence that conducts fundamental research on markets and public policy, integrating economic theory, behavioral and experimental economics, political science, psychology, and legal science. It is jointly hosted by the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and operates under seven interconnected research areas covering topics such as market design, collective decisions, fairness and inequality, and digital transformation. The cluster offers research infrastructure (notably the ECONtribute Data Lab), a doctoral training program (YEP), academic seminars and events, and open-access research outputs aimed at academic, policy, and broader public audiences.

Product overview

ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy is a research Cluster of Excellence — not a commercial product company. It is a joint initiative of the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, funded under the German Excellence Strategy. Its 'offerings' consist entirely of academic research programs, not software products or platforms. The cluster organizes its activities across seven research areas (Behavioral Foundations, Theoretical Foundations, Equality of Opportunity, Labor Markets and Organizations, Design of Organizations and Markets, Stability and Distribution, and Political Economy). It also operates the Young ECONtribute Program (YEP) for doctoral students, runs multiple research seminars (ECONtribute Seminar, YEP Workshop, Design & Behavior Seminar, LawEcon Workshop, MPI Seminar, MEF/ECONtribute Seminar), maintains data laboratories (ECONtribute Data Lab, Bonn EconLab, Cologne Laboratory for Economic Research), publishes academic papers and policy briefs, and produces a German-language podcast called 'ECONtribute – Der Wirtschaftspodcast.' It offers funding programs (Selten Seeding Grants, Selten Grants) and visitor programs (ECONtribute Research Fellows, International Faculty). There is no commercial product, software platform, SaaS offering, or API-based service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young ECONtribute Program (YEP): A special program for doctoral students working on markets and public policy or related Cluster topics, integrated into the two-stage Ph.D. program structure offered by the Bonn Graduate School of Economics and Cologne Graduate School.
• Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI)
• Selten Lecture
• ECONtribute – Der Wirtschaftspodcast

Products and services

• Young ECONtribute Program (YEP) Structured doctoral training program associated with ECONtribute, providing Ph.D. candidates with research training, supervision, and integration into the cluster's research agenda on markets and public policy. Open to applicants holding a Master's degree in economics or related disciplines.
• ECONtribute Data Lab Research data infrastructure service supporting ECONtribute's empirical and experimental research projects, providing researchers with access to curated datasets, data handling capabilities, and analytical tooling to study markets and public policy questions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conducts extensive research seminars including ECONtribute Seminar, YEP Workshop, Design & Behavior Seminar, LawEcon Workshop, and econometrics consultation
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of BonncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of two founding universities of ECONtribute. Established in 1818, University of Bonn is one of eleven German Universities of Excellence since 2019. Hosts Faculty of Law and Economics, Bonn Graduate School of Economics, and Bonn Laboratory for Experimental Economics (BonnEconLab).
• University of ColognecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of two founding universities of ECONtribute. One of the oldest and largest universities in Europe with outstanding scientific achievements. Hosts Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Cologne Graduate School, Cologne Laboratory for Economic Research (CLER), and C-SEB.
• Max Planck Institute for Behavioral EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner institution investigating provision of collective goods focusing on behavioral interventions and experimental methods in economics, behavioral research in law and economics, credence goods, and consumer protection measures.
• Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) 'Individuals Institutions and Societies'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegration with University of Bonn's TRA that spans different faculties and enables transdisciplinary approaches beyond faculty structures.
• Cologne Center for Social and Economic Behavior (C-SEB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with C-SEB at University of Cologne comprising over 100 researchers from economics, management, and psychology investigating social and economic behavior mechanisms.
• YES! - Young Economic SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Germany's largest school competitions on economic and social challenges. Students work with researchers to develop solutions for global challenges facing economy, society, politics, and environment.
• Initiative KlischeefreiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance between representatives from education, training, policy making, business, and research campaigning for career and study choices free from gender stereotypes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ifo Institute: Munich-based economic research institute providing empirical research on policy issues and publishing widely cited indicators (ifo Business Climate Index). Comparable to ECONtribute as a German economics research powerhouse with policy influence and academic output.
• CEPR (Centre for Economic Policy Research): London-based international network of academic economists producing policy-relevant research across Europe. Comparable to ECONtribute in academic-policy bridge function, interdisciplinary economic research, and convening role across European researchers.
• ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research: Mannheim-based economic research institute providing policy-relevant empirical research with strong evaluation expertise. Comparable to ECONtribute as a German policy-oriented economics research center combining academic rigor with real-world application.
• IZA Institute of Labor Economics: Bonn-based international economics research institute focused on labor economics. Comparable to ECONtribute's Labor Markets and Organizations research area, Bonn location, and policy-oriented empirical research orientation.
• Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods: Bonn-based Max Planck institute conducting research on how individuals and societies provide and finance collective goods, using behavioral and experimental economics. Strongly comparable to ECONtribute in research methodology, behavioral focus, and Bonn location.
• Institute for Fiscal Studies: London-based independent economic research institute analyzing fiscal policy and public finances. Comparable to ECONtribute in micro-empirical policy evaluation, public-policy focus, and independence from commercial interests.
• Toulouse School of Economics: Leading European research and training center in economics based in France, with strong focus on behavioral and experimental economics. Comparable to ECONtribute in combining theoretical foundations with empirical/behavioral research on market and policy design.
• CESifo: Munich-based international research network of economists combining ifo, LMU, and the University of Munich. Comparable to ECONtribute in international research orientation, policy focus, and position within the German economics research ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Hoover Institution: Stanford-based public policy research center promoting principles of individual, economic, and political freedom. Comparable to ECONtribute as an academic-affiliated policy research institution, though with a broader ideological and policy remit.
• Brookings Institution: Major US-based public policy research organization conducting economic and social policy research with significant global influence. Comparable to ECONtribute as a public-policy-oriented research organization, though much broader in scope than ECONtribute's economics focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXLK9A-HcyCzPgBCgPKJJDw/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/econtribute-markets-public-policy
• Instagraminstagram.com/econ_tribute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy