News & Opinions

Spring forecast: Eastern Europe weathering the Iran shock for now - 29 Apr 2026

A protracted war in the Middle East would lead to a sharp decline in growth; ‘extended workbench’ model no longer CEE’s growth engine; gloomy outlook for Ukraine; Russia in stagnation, despite windfall profits from Iran war; Hungary’s recovery will take time read more

Osteuropa wichtigste Stütze für Österreichs Exportwachstum - 29 Apr 2026

Obwohl der Iran-Krieg die Wachstumsaussichten Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropas dämpft, kann Österreich weiterhin optimistisch auf die dortige Wirtschaftsentwicklung blicken read more

New study: EU tobacco tax reform could boost revenues and cut smoking - 20 Apr 2026

Our new study on EU tobacco tax reform was presented at the European Parliament, highlighting its potential to increase fiscal revenues and improve public health read more

New Study: Same job, different skills – why migrants fall behind at work - 13 Mar 2026

Migrants in Europe perform fewer complex tasks than native workers in the same jobs due to cognitive skill gaps rather than discriminatory task allocation. Language training and skill development are key read more

New study: Regime change in Iran could boost EU economy - 02 Mar 2026

GDP gains of up to 0.7% for the EU; Austria would benefit particularly; dampening effects on inflation; Iran could reach the economic level of Turkey or South Korea in the medium term read more

Reorientation of Ukraine’s economy towards the EU - 24 Feb 2026

EU now Ukraine’s most important trading partner; high dependence on China for drones; critical raw materials, defence and renewables are opportunities for Europe; robust agriculture, greater role for the government read more

Recent Publications

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What drives child benefit size and design in Europe? Macroeconomic, sociocultural, and political factors

wiiw Working Papers read more

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Fiscal consolidation and political instability

wiiw Working Papers read more

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Growth model adapting under pressure

wiiw Forecast Reports read more

Upcoming Events

19  May 2026    5:45 pm CEST

In cooperation with CEU, FIW, Universität Wien, WIFO, WIIW and WU.

David Atkin (MIT) presents his research (jointly with Baptiste Bernadac, Dave Donaldson, Tishara Garg and Federico Huneeus) in the Vienna International Economics Seminar (VIES) series

The Incidence of Distortions (joint Baptiste Bernadac, Dave Donaldson, Tishara Garg and Federico Huneeus)

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28  May 2026    4:30 pm CEST

In cooperation with City of Vienna.

Spring Seminar 2026: Urban Human Capital Nexus: Navigating Ageing, Culture, Markets, and Integration

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24  June 2026    3:00 pm CEST

In cooperation with Research Centre International Economics (FIW).

Join Dario Guarascio as he examines the interplay between technological capabilities, import dependency, and environmental policies in the lithium-ion battery supply chain, showing how smart policy design can overcome trade-offs and support both strategic autonomy and the net-zero transition.

Can strategic dependencies harm the acceleration towards net-zero transition? The case of the lithium-ion battery industry

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Projects in Focus

The Economic Impact and Potential of Formal and Informal Roma Workers in Eastern Europe

Client: Roma Foundation for Europe
Duration: March 2025 - November 2026 read more

Untangling the impacts of technological transformations, globalisation and demographic change to foster shared prosperity in Europe (UNTANGLED)

Client: European Commission, Horizon 2020
Duration: February 2021 - January 2024 read more

Monitoring and Assessing Labor Markets in the Western Balkans

Client: The World Bank
Duration: June 2022 - June 2025 read more

Capacity Building for Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe: Development, organisation, implementation and evaluation of seminars at the Joint Vienna Institute

Client: Oesterreichische Nationalbank/Austrian Ministry of Finance
Duration: January 2026 - December 2026 read more

EU-Asia relations: technological competition and trade policies in an era of regionalisation

Client: Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Duration: June 2023 - October 2026 read more

Regional Cooperation in EU-CEE and Lessons for the Western Balkans

Client: Bertelsmann Stiftung
Duration: June 2021 - May 2022 read more


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