WI Institute of Rural Economics

Projects

Ongoing projects

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

To gain a comprehensive understanding of Germany as a startup location, it is advantageous to examine it from a global perspective. This is provided by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the world's largest research network for analyzing start-up activities. The Thünen Institute has been a member of GEM since 2024, and together with the RKW Competence Center, it constitutes the German national team.

Figures & Facts about the Economy in Rural Areas

This project focuses on selected topics relevant to the economic development of rural areas and presents them in an accessible manner. Through concise and regular publications, we inform policymakers as well as the media and the general public about the current economic situation and development trends in rural areas.

Artificial intelligence and regional economic development

Artificial Intelligence (AI) changes the labor market and promises productivity gains and new growth opportunities. Whether AI can impact regional development positive or negative depends on many different factors. The aim of this project is to investigate regional conditions that promote the entrepreneurial use of AI and enable or inhibit positive regional development through AI.

Land acquisitions and rising land-inequality in rural East Africa

In countries where agriculture is an essential source of livelihood, land is the main productive asset and therefore crucial for rural populations. Land inequality has long been recognized as a threat to inclusive and sustainable development. However, the role of growing outside interest in land and resulting land inequality is not well-understood, despite a growing body of research on large-scale land acquisitions.

Innovation and technology development in rural areas

Rural regions are often considered to be low in innovation. However, many companies in these areas are indeed innovative, but they often employ strategies for the development of innovations and new technologies that differ from those in urban regions. We would like to examine these strategies more closely and develop recommendations on how to enhance innovation performance and value creation in rural areas.

Patenting activities in a regional context

Inventions in the form of patents are considered an important driver of regional economic development. Their emergence is complex and depends on numerous factors both at the regional and policy level. The aim of this research project is to better understand the interaction of these factors and the spatial patterns of innovation.

Modeling of spatial economic developments and model-based policy assessment

While some rural regions are prospering, others are at risk of falling further behind. Model-based insights about spatial economic development are therefore as important as knowledge about the instruments that can help achieve regional equality and growth objectives.

Energy transition and its impact on firms and the spatial distribution of economic activity

Germany aims to reach greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. A study by the German Federal Environmental Agency has shown that this is technically feasible, but the question is at what cost? The corporate sector in Germany accounts for roughly half of total final energy consumption. A substantial part of this relates to manufacturing and the transport of intermediates and final products. This suggests that non-urban areas may bear the main burden of climate change. Manufacturing firms are predominantly located in non-urban areas, and these regions are also characterized by higher transport unit ...

Regional patterns of skilled worker shortages and their causes

Unternehmen fällt es zunehmend schwerer, freie Arbeitsplätze zu besetzen. Gerade in vielen ländlichen Regionen geht das Arbeitskräfteangebot zurück. Daher untersuchen wir das regionale Ausmaß von Fachkräfteengpässen mit besonderem Fokus auf der Situation in ländlichen Räumen.

Greenhouse Gas Neutral Germany: Effects on the Economy and Living Conditions in Rural Areas

The 2021 Federal Climate Change Act stipulates that Germany should become greenhouse gas neutral until 2045. The TREND:LR project analyses economic, social, and policy aspects of this transformation in rural areas.

Artists and Cultural Entrepreneurs as a resource for rural development

Rural areas offer opportunities and potentials for artists and cultural entrepreneurs. At the same time, the rural context brings certain challenges that cultural entrepreneurs have to address in their artistic-entrepreneurial practices. Therefore, we investigate the situation of cultural entrepreneurs in rural areas and try to find out what role they play in regional development.

Economic effects of the spatially uneven distribution of workers as well as firms

In Germany pronounced regional disparities with regard to economic strength exist. They show up, i.a., between rural and urbanised regions. Therefore, we analyse the impact of the spatially uneven distribution of workers and firms on their economic success in terms of productivity and the generation of innovations, respectively.

Financial resources and room for manoeuvre of rural municipalities

Rural municipalities are often considered to be left behind and fiscally weak in the public discourse. However, empirical evidence shows a heterogeneous spatial distribution of financially weak and financially strong municipalities. In this research project, we identify determinants that explain these disparities.

Rural Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship can have a positive impact on the development of industries and regions. Theoretical and empirical research findings suggest that incidence, causes and effects of entrepreneurship differ significantly between rural and non-rural regions. However, these differences have not been sufficiently investigated so far.

Finished projects

Occupational Choice from a spatial perspective

Why do individuals choose a certain occupation? What influences have regional determinants like labour market and industry structure on the decision? These questions are especially important for rural areas with regard to the current German skill-shortage.

The spatial mobility of labour over working life - Analyses for rural areas in Germany

The local availability of human capital is of high importance for the economic development of rural areas. In particular in times of demographic change, the spatial mobility of labour is a crucial determinant of the human capital endowment of a region.

Regional economic resilience in Germany and Europe

The recession of 2008/2009 has led to the so far biggest economic downturn in Germany of the post-war period. Today, the crisis provides illustrative material about how the economic resilience of countries, regions and firms to external shocks can be improved.

Industry dynamics in rural areas

The economy is in a constant state of change due to technological advances, increasing income, changing demand patterns and shifts of the global production structure. Regions’ affectedness by this structural change differs depending on industry structure and the availability of jobs, capital and knowledge, differs, as does the predominance of various branches.