THE BERLIN OFFICE OF RWI
RWI in Berlin: Science meets politics
Since 2007, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research has been combining economic research with practical policy advice at its Berlin location. Our Berlin office strengthens the institute's presence in the German capital. We build bridges between research and politics.
Dual expertise: scientific networking and policy advice
The team in Berlin works closely with Berlin universities and communicates research findings directly to decision-makers. Politicians, media professionals and other stakeholders can find expert answers to economic questions here.
The team consists of researchers from all RWI areas of expertise as well as from the research groups Global Migration and Microstructure of Tax and Transfer Systems.
Active networking in the research landscape
Since 2023, the RWI Berlin Network Seminar has regularly invited leading scientists from Berlin and the surrounding area. Interested parties can participate after registering.
Furthermore, we coordinate important Berlin research networks and seminar series together with our partner institutions:
Knowledge transfer through events
Our Berlin office organises conferences, workshops and dialogue formats on current economic policy issues. We bring research, politics and society into conversation.
At RWI Impuls, you will find a confidential space for scientifically sound policy discussions. Here, research and decision-making come together directly. RWI Impuls is our exclusive round-table format in Berlin.
If you would like to learn more about our events or participate in our networking seminar, please contact us at Claudia.Schmiedchen@rwi-essen.de.
Upcoming events
Speaker: Sevrin Waights (HU Berlin)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: “Minimum Wages and Cost-Push Inflation"
Abstract: This paper estimates the impacts of minimum wage increases on product-level CPI across the entire German economy under imperfect competition. Our reduced form and structural differences-in-differences estimates are based on variation in exposure to the minimum wage stemming from product-level 'bite' and minimum wage cost shocks, respectively. Using these estimates, we predict the overall price impacts of the initial introduction and subsequent hikes of the national minimum wage and derive macro-price elasticity of minimum wage increases.
Together with decision-makers from government ministries, implementing organizations, and the academic community, we will discuss the current state of research on the effectiveness of anticipatory humanitarian aid. We will focus on the future potential of such programs and the challenges involved in their implementation and evaluation.
Date: 07 July 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
RWI Impulse is an exclusive roundtable format in which the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research invites selected actors from politics, civil society, and the media to discuss scientific evidence on current, socio-politically relevant topics with researchers in a confidential setting. The events follow the Chatham House Rules. The event is reserved for invited guests.
Speaker: Anna Schulze Tilling (Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: tba
Speaker: Johanna Arlinghaus (Hertie School)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: tba
In the RWI Impulse “Affordable Housing in Times of Demographic Change and the Green Transition” we discuss with experts from politics, academia, and various interest groups the regionally varying challenges that demographic change and the decarbonization of the building sector pose for the availability of affordable housing.
Datum: 15 October 2026
RWI Impulse is an exclusive roundtable format in which the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research invites selected actors from politics, civil society, and the media to discuss scientific evidence on current, socio-politically relevant topics with researchers in a confidential setting. The events follow the Chatham House Rules. The event is reserved for invited guests.
