Venue: University of Vienna
Date: June 26-27, 2025
Organizers: Pol Antràs (Harvard), Alejandro Cuñat (University of Vienna), Harald Fadinger (University of Vienna), and Kalina Manova (UCL)
Keynote Speakers: Lorenzo Caliendo (Yale) and Isabelle Mejean (Sciences Po)
Following upon the first seven editions of WIEN, the University of Vienna will again host a two-day meeting that will draw together researchers interested in international economics, global value chains and economic geography.
The workshop will take place in the University of Vienna’s beautiful historical main building.
To be considered for inclusion on the programme, papers must be submitted in PDF format to Mrs. Jelena Milosevic (milosevic@wiiw.ac.at) by Saturday, March 1st, 2025. Authors chosen to present papers at the conference will be notified in March.
The organisers are particularly keen on receiving submissions from young scholars, including Ph.D. students and researchers who have just completed their Ph.Ds. With that in mind, we would appreciate it if you could circulate this Call for Papers among your junior colleagues, former students and current Ph.D. students. As in past editions, we will actively seek diversity in the set of selected speakers.
Participants will be provided with accommodation in central Vienna, and airfares for speakers will also be reimbursed subject to certain budget guidelines. The conference is generously supported by the Heinrich Graph Hardegg’sche Stiftung, FIW [1], University of Vienna, wiiw, and the ERC/UKRI under Horizon Europe Guarantee.
Vienna, 20th-21st February 2025
Keynote Lecture: Meredith Crowley (U. Cambridge)
Deadline: 15th November 2024
OUTLINE
The Research Centre International Economics – FIW announces its 17th Research Conference ‘International Economics’ and invites the submission of (full) working papers to be presented at the conference.
The main objective of the conference is to provide a platform for economists working in the field of ‘International Economics’ to present recent research.
Papers from Ph.D. students, young faculty members and young researchers in similar positions are particularly welcome as the conference aims to support and encourage young economists by providing an opportunity to present their work to fellow junior economists as well as experienced senior researchers.
The conference also aims at bringing together researchers and policy makers to provide a forum for discussion on how empirical evidence can more effectively inform actual economic policy making.
TIME & LOCATION
The 17th FIW Research Conference on ‘International Economics’ will take place on Thursday, 20th February 2025 andFriday, 21st February 2025 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna), Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Vienna, Austria.
PAPER SUBMISSION
We invite the submission of (full) working papers on all topics in the field of International Economics.
Please submit your working papers via https://conference2025.fiw.ac.at
until 15th November 2024.
Selection decisions will be communicated between December 2024 and beginning of January 2025.
AWARDS
Two prizes for the best contributions to the Research Conference will be awarded – the ‘Best Conference Paper Award 25’ and the ‘Young Economist Award 25’. Each award is worth € 1000.
The ‘Young Economist Award 25’ is intended for Ph.D. students, young faculty members and young researchers in similar positions. To be considered for this award all authors of the paper have to be 34 or younger at the time of submission.
TOPICS COVERED
The broad topic of the conference is ‘International Economics’. This includes, inter alia, International Trade, International Factor Movements, Economic Integration, Effects of international economic activities on Climate Change, Trade Policy, International Trade Organizations, Economic Growth of Open Economies, Multinational Firms, Global Value Chains, International Macroeconomics and other related fields.
ORGANISATION
The 17th FIW-Research Conference ‘International Economics is organized by FIW with support from the Program Committee and the Austrian Federal Ministries for Education Science and Research (BMBFW) and Labour and Economy (BMAW).
ABOUT FIW
The FIW – Research Centre International Economics (https://www.fiw.ac.at) is a cooperation between the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), the University Vienna, the Johannes Kepler University Linz and the University of Innsbruck, WIFO and wiiw. FIW is grateful for financial support by the Austrian Federal Ministries for Education, Research and Science (BMBFW) and Labour and Economy (BMAW).
Program Committee
Harald Oberhofer (FIW, WU Vienna, WIFO)
Julia Bachtrögler-Unger (WIFO)
Marta Bisztray (KTRK, Budapest)
Jesus Crespo-Cuaresma (WU Vienna)
Alejandro Cunat (University of Vienna)
Peter Egger (ETH Zürich)
Katharina Erhardt (HHU Düsseldorf, DICE)
Harald Fadinger (University of Vienna)
Gabriel Felbermayr (WIFO, WU Vienna)
Lisandra Flach (LMU Munich)
Jochen Güntner (JKU Linz)
Michael Irlacher (JKU Linz)
Inga Heiland (University of Oslo)
Brigitte Hochmuth (University of Vienna)
Mario Holzner (wiiw)
Mario Larch (University of Bayreuth)
Dalia Marin (TU Munich)
Karin Mayr-Dorn (JKU Linz)
Birgit Meyer (WIFO)
Katrin Rabitsch (WU Vienna)
Michael Pfaffermayr (University of Innsbruck)
Robert Stehrer (wiiw)
Julia Spornberger (University of Hohenheim)
Roman Stöllinger (TU Delft)
Gabriele Tondl (WU Vienna)
Joschka Wanner (University of Würzburg)
Yvonne Wolfmayr (WIFO)
Questions may be addressed to fiw-pb@fiw.ac.at or alexander.hudetz@wifo.ac.at.
The conference programme will be published on https://www.fiw.ac.at and https://conference2025.fiw.ac.at
Attendance of the FIW Research Conference is free of charge.
The conference language is English. Travel expenses will not be refunded.
From April 2024, the BMAW will publish up-to-date, high-quality estimates for nominal, real and seasonally adjusted foreign trade in goods data on the FIW website on a monthly basis using an econometric model developed by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS). This means that current forecasts (so-called nowcasts) of Austria’s monthly foreign trade are available – with a lead of more than two months compared to the publications of Statistics Austria. In addition to the nominal values, the FIW Trade Indicator also shows price-adjusted real values. This real foreign trade data gives an exact impression of the actual increase in Austria’s welfare due to foreign trade and is also seasonally and working day adjusted. As a result, the nowcasts differ from the unadjusted, nominal values published by Statistics Austria. For example, unlike last year, the Easter holidays fell in March this year. In the official unadjusted time series, this results in an apparent decline in the growth rates of foreign trade in goods in March and an apparent increase in April. This distortion is avoided in the FIW Trade Indicator.
The FIW Trade Indicator is available at https://www.fiw.ac.at/fiw-trade-indicator/
Venue: University of Vienna
Date: July 5-6, 2024
Organisers: Pol Antràs (Harvard), Alejandro Cuñat (University of Vienna), and Kalina Manova (UCL)
Keynote Speakers: Lorenzo Caliendo (Yale) and Paola Conconi (Oxford)
Following upon the first six editions of WIEN, the University of Vienna will again host a two-day meeting that will
draw together researchers interested in international economics, global value chains and economic geography.
The workshop will take place in the beautiful Sky-lounge of the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Business,
Economics and Statistics, overlooking the city centre.
To be considered for inclusion on the programme, papers must be submitted in PDF format to Mrs. Birgit
Buschbom (buschbom@wiiw.ac.at) by Tuesday, April 2nd 2024. Authors chosen to present papers at the
conference will be notified in early April.
The organisers are particularly keen on receiving submissions from young scholars, including Ph.D. students and
researchers who have just completed their Ph.Ds. With that in mind, we would appreciate it if you could circulate
this Call for Papers among your junior colleagues, former students and current Ph.D. students. As in past editions,
we will actively seek diversity in the set of selected speakers.
Participants will be provided with accommodation in central Vienna, and airfares for speakers will also be
reimbursed subject to certain budget guidelines.
The conference is generously supported by the Heinrich Graf Hardegg’sche Stiftung, FIW, University of Vienna, wiiw, and the UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council.
“We need up-to-date data in order to gain an accurate understanding of the growth rates of our foreign trade in goods to be able to promptly assess Austria’s increase in prosperity and the economic trends in foreign trade,” explained Minister of Labour and Economy Martin Kocher.
The Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy (BMAW) has therefore commissioned the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) to create a nowcast of Austrian foreign trade in goods using econometric methods and up-to-date data.
Starting in April 2024, the BMAW will publish up-to-date, high-quality estimates for Austrian trade in goods in the previous month on a monthly basis. In addition to the nominal values, the FIW Trade Indicator also shows price- and seasonally adjusted values, which eliminate distortions caused by seasonal influences and public holidays in order to allow a timely assessment of economic trends in foreign trade. This means that, for the first time, timely and reliable forecasts of Austrian foreign trade are available. For comparison: Statistics Austria publishes the first provisional data on nominal exports and imports of goods with a time lag of more than two months.
The FIW Trade Indicator is now available on the FIW website under the section ‘Data’.
The huge rise in prices and sudden shock in energy costs from the previous year, along with a significant decrease in precautionary stocks, will negatively impact global industrial production and world trade in 2023. Additionally, Austria’s inflation gap with vital trading partners and the euro’s increase in value worsen its competitive pricing position. Nonetheless, Austrian exports of goods experienced a robust 3.9% growth (in real terms)) during the first half of 2023, thereby increasing market share in crucial markets. Export growth will slow down considerably in the latter half of this year. In 2023, goods exports are expected to grow by approximately 1.5% (in real terms) overall. There is a likelihood that exports will increase by 2.5% (in real terms) in 2024. By 2023, the trade deficit in goods for foreign trade will be reduced to half the amount of the previous year, at € -10.3 billion. This improvement is partly due to a decrease in energy prices, which has positively affected the terms of trade. Figure 1 presents a summary of the primary outcomes of the foreign trade forecast.
Global economic development has recently lost considerable momentum (see Figure 1.1). It is accompanied by a weakness in global industrial production, which is also having an impact on global trade in goods. Germany is particularly affected by this. Austria’s most important trading partner is expected to experience a recession in 2023 (-0.6%), while Germany’s economic output will recover slightly next year (+1.2%). The economy in Europe will also be burdened by high inflation and rising interest rates as a result of restrictive monetary policy. At the same time, demand in China declined significantly following the end of the lockdown in spring 2023. However, global industrial production and trade in goods are also falling, primarily because of the reduction in precautionary stocks that were built up in previous years due to the threat of supply shortages and energy supply shortfalls. However, the shift in the global consumption structure from increased consumption of goods to increased consumption of services – due to the coronavirus – is also having a dampening effect. The growth prospects will only improve again next year with the advanced reduction of increased inventories. In addition, most of the forecasts currently available indicate a further decline in inflation for 2024. The continuing restrictive monetary policy and weak economic development in China are likely to have a negative impact on the global economy in 2024. In the US, the economy has remained stable so far and has been supported primarily by private consumption. However, economic growth is also forecast to weaken in the US in 2024, primarily because the impetus from private consumption is fading.
Under these international conditions, the Austrian export markets (the “Austrian market growth”) will shrink by 0.4% this year, mainly due to weak import demand from Germany and the Central and Eastern European countries and are expected to recover by +3.2% in 2024 (Figure 1.3). In addition, Austria’s inflation gap with important trading partners and the appreciation of the euro will lead to a deterioration in its competitive price position in the forecast period (Figure 1.3). In 2023, the price increase measured by the consumer price index is significantly higher than in comparable countries in the eurozone (Figure 2.1). This inflation differential is likely to shrink in 2024 but will continue to persist. In line with this picture, domestic industrial companies once again rate their competitive position as significantly worse compared to competitors in the EU, but especially compared to competitors outside the EU (Figure 2.4). Assessments of the competitive position have reached historic lows, particularly in the intermediate goods and consumer goods sectors, while the decline in the capital goods sector has been delayed and less severe. However, an effect on Austria’s exports and market shares cannot yet be seen in the data for the first half of 2023.
The Austrian export industry proved to be robust in the first half of 2023 despite the negative influences and was even able to gain market share in important markets. It is less affected by the slump in demand for primary products in the wake of destocking and was able to maintain its competitiveness in specific niches. The development of Austrian producer prices abroad also suggests a moderate pass-through of domestic cost increases to Austrian export prices relative to trading partners, presumably at the expense of corporate profits. According to preliminary data from foreign trade statistics, growth in exports of goods reached 6.1% at current prices (nominal) and 3.9% at constant prices (real) in the first half of 2023 (Figure 3). Exports of capital goods (machinery and vehicles) proved to be the most important growth drivers. The (nominal) market share development in the first half of 2023 shows gains of 10.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, mainly thanks to strong exports of machinery to Germany and the USA. Measured in terms of exports in the eurozone, Austria’s market share rose by 3.4%1).
However, company assessments in the WIFO Business Survey convey a pessimistic outlook for the second half of 2023 (Figures 4.1, 4.2). The assessment of export orders has deteriorated since the May survey. Export expectations were also downgraded significantly in the summer months and barely recovered in the last survey in October. The mood in the capital goods sectors has deteriorated, and thus in the very areas of the export industry that have driven export growth to date. This should slow down export momentum in the second half of 2023 and significantly diminish the export successes from the first half of the year. Growth in goods exports of around 1.5% (in real terms) is expected for 2023 as a whole (Figure 5.1). Given the assumption that the international economy will improve in 2024, a recovery can be expected over the course of the coming year. Exports of goods are likely to increase by 2.5% (in real terms) in 2024. However, the now delayed decline in demand for capital goods will extend into 2024 and leave Austrian export companies specializing in capital goods little room for further market share gains.
Imports of goods reflect the weakness of domestic industrial production and the reduction in precautionary stocks of energy and industrial raw materials that were built up in the previous year. In addition, the slump in the consumption of so-called consumer durables in particular is also noticeable2). This is also partly due to the normalization of the consumption structure following the COVID-19 crisis. Imports are expected to fall by almost 2% (in real terms) in 2023, while imports are likely to recover in 2024 with growth of 2.3% (in real terms) (Figure 5.1). The trade deficit in foreign trade in goods will improve significantly due to the weak import trend and, at € 10.3 billion, will be half of the previous year’s figure in 2023 (Figure 5.2). However, the improvement in the terms of trade, the ratio of export to import prices, is also essential for foreign trade. These had deteriorated drastically in 2022 as a result of commodity and energy taxes – particularly due to the higher proportion of energy in imports – and weighed heavily on Austria’s trade balance. However, the fall in energy prices (especially for natural gas) this year triggered a countermovement. he natural gas and crude oil became more expensive. According to the current forecast, the major price pressure from abroad via commodity prices will continue to ease, and the increase in producer prices for goods sold abroad by Austria and important trading partners in the EU has also continued to weaken. The terms of trade will therefore improve again in 2023 and 2024 (by +1.5% in 2023 and +0.5% in 2024), but less significantly than they deteriorated in 2022 (-5.0%) (Figure 5.3). Key imported commodities such as natural gas and crude oil will also remain more expensive in the medium term.
The forecast is based on the assumption that there will be no further escalation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, that sufficient natural gas stocks have been built up over the winter and that a complete halt in natural gas supplies from Russia to Europe can still be ruled out. Nonetheless, potential dangers persist, and deficits might lead to more expensive prices and fuel inflation. The recent Middle East conflict between Israel and Hamas also harbours additional uncertainty and geopolitical risk if the conflict spreads and further tensions in the Middle East jeopardise the production and transport of oil. However, if none of this happens, inflation may drop faster than predicted in the forecast, resulting in the possibility of raising the key interest rate, which would give a positive boost to the global economy.
Autorin:
Dr. Yvonne Wolfmayr is Senior Economist at WIFO and has been working in the Research Group “Industrial, Innovation and International Economics” since 1992. From 2013 to 2016 she was Deputy Director of WIFO. She studied Economics at the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck with a major in International Economics. Since then, she has spent time abroad at renowned universities in the USA (University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University). Her research focusses on the empirical analysis of international trade issues, including foreign direct investment The foreign trade forecast is one of her regular activities at WIFO.
16th FIW-Research Conference
‘International Economics’
Vienna, 22nd-23rd February 2024
Extended Deadline: 30th October 2023
OUTLINE
The Research Centre International Economics – FIW announces its 16 th Research Conference ‘International Economics’ and invites the submission of (full) working papers to be presented at the conference. The main objective of the conference is to provide a platform for economists working in the field of ‘International Economics’ to present recent research. Papers from Ph.D. students, young faculty members and young researchers in similar positions are particularly welcome as the conference aims to support and encourage young economists by providing an opportunity to present their work to fellow junior economists as well as experienced senior researchers. The conference also aims at bringing together researchers and policy makers to provide a forum for discussion on how empirical evidence can more effectively inform actual economic policy making.
TIME & LOCATION
The 16th FIW Research Conference on ‘International Economics’ will take place on Thursday, 22nd February 2024 and Friday, 23rd February 2024 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna), Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Vienna.
PAPER SUBMISSION
We invite the submission of (full) working papers on all topics in the field of International Economics.
Please submit your working papers via https://conference2024.fiw.ac.at
until 30th October 2023.
Selection decisions will be communicated in December 2023. Uploaded submissions can be updated until the end of the extended deadline.
AWARDS
Two prizes for the best contributions to the Research Conference will be awarded – the‘Best Conference Paper Award 24’ and the ‘Young Economist Award 24’. Each award is worth € 1000.
The ‘Young Economist Award 24’ is intended for Ph.D. students, young faculty members and young researchers in similar positions. To be considered for this award all authors of the paper have to be 34 or younger at the time of submission.
TOPICS COVERED
The broad topic of the conference is ‘International Economics’. This includes, inter alia, International Trade, International Factor Movements, Economic Integration, Effects of international economic activities on Climate Change, Trade Policy, International Trade Organizations, Economic Growth of Open Economies, Multinational Firms, Global Value Chains, International Macroeconomics and other related fields.
The 16th FIW-Research Conference ‘International Economics is organized by FIW with support from the Program Committee and the Austrian Federal Ministries for Education Science and Research (BMBFW) and Labour and Economy (BMAW).
ABOUT FIW
The FIW – Research Centre International Economics (https://www.fiw.ac.at) is a cooperation between the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), the University Vienna, the Johannes Kepler University Linz and the University of Innsbruck, WIFO, wiiw and WSR. FIW is grateful for financial support by the Austrian Federal Ministries for Education, Research and Science (BMBFW) and Labour and Economy (BMAW).
Program Committee
Harald Oberhofer (FIW, WU Vienna, WIFO)
Julia Bachtrögler-Unger (WIFO)
Marta Bisztray (KTRK, Budapest)
Jesus Crespo-Cuaresma (WU Vienna)
Alejandro Cunat (University of Vienna)
Peter Egger (ETH Zürich)
Katharina Erhardt (HHU Düsseldorf, DICE)
Harald Fadinger (University of Mannheim)
Gabriel Felbermayr (WIFO, WU Vienna)
Lisandra Flach (LMU Munich)
Michael Irlacher (JKU Linz)
Inga Heiland (University of Oslo)
Mario Holzner (wiiw)
Mario Larch (University of Bayreuth)
Dalia Marin (TU Munich)
Karin Mayr-Dorn (JKU Linz)
Birgit Meyer (WIFO)
Katrin Rabitsch (WU Vienna)
Michael Pfaffermayr (University of Innsbruck)
Robert Stehrer (wiiw)
Roman Stöllinger (TU Delft)
Joschka Wanner (University of Würzburg)
Yvonne Wolfmayr (WIFO)
The conference programme will be published on https://www.fiw.ac.at and https://conference2024.fiw.ac.at.
Attendance of the FIW Research Conference is free of charge.
The conference language is English. Travel expenses will not be refunded.
Within the framework of the Research Centre International Economics” the “FIW Award” is offered to promote excellent young female researchers in the field of International Economics
The award is intended for qualified female researchers up to the age of 35 who have written a PhD thesis at an Austrian university in the field of international economics or Austrian citizens who have written their thesis at a university abroad.
The “FIW Award” aims to make outstanding research work by women visible and to award prizes. The goal is to motivate women to pursue an academic career.tiviert werden, eine wissenschaftliche Karriere einzuschlagen.
The total amount of the award is € 5,000.00 and can be divided among several young women scientists. The actual distribution of the prize money depends on the quality and number of submissions.
Funding is available for theoretical, empirical and economic policy theses on the following topics:
Foreign trade, direct investment, development economics, European integration, geoeconomics, globalisation, international financial markets, international trade and financial institutions, international macroeconomics, international economic development, international trade, international competition, multinational enterprises, environmental impacts of international economic activities, economic effects of migration, exchange rate regimes or similar topics.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate submissions:
Please send submissions to: fiw-pb@fiw.at
Submission deadline: 15 November 2023
The Department V/7 “Trade and Competition Policy Analysis and Strategies” of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs invites proposals for a study:
Study topic: Analysis of the effects of the EU trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Deadline for submissions: 29 October 2023
Contact: POST.V7_22@bmaw.gv.at
Enclosure 2: General Terms and Conditions for Contracts for Work and Services of the BMAW
For questions regarding the content of this call for studies, please contact the BMAW directly at the contact address given.