The Institute of Energy Economics (EWI) at the University of Cologne is a non-profit organization (gGmbH). It sees itself as a knowledge factory that aims at creating, disseminating and utilizing new knowledge about increasingly complex energy markets. The energy world is currently undergoing dramatic change, with changing political and social conditions as well as new technologies and innovations. These changes raise complex questions for which EWI is seeking answers: through practical and agenda-neutral energy economics research.
The latest economic methods:
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Marc Oliver Bettzüge (Director) and Annette Becker (Managing Director), a team of about 40 employees prepares energy economic analyses with high practical relevance. In order to create the greatest possible gain in knowledge for science, energy policy, and energy economic practice, the EWI applies the latest economic methods. In addition to economic-theoretical analyses, the focus is on the use and further development of quantitative methods. These include, in particular, detailed computer-based models of the European electricity and gas industries, but also of global energy markets such as coal and oil.
Research institution of the Cologne University Foundation:
The Institute of Energy Economics is a research institution of the Cologne University Foundation. The institute has the legal form of a non-profit limited liability company and is a 100 percent subsidiary of the foundation. In addition to the EWI, the foundation also includes the (planned) Innovation and Start-up Center of the University of Cologne, which will include a test center for companies and their digital business models as well as an incubator for spin-offs. Both institutions, EWI and the Innovation and Start-up Center, are transfer institutions that bring ideas from the university into business and society.
Member of Johannes-Rau-Forschungsgemeinschaft (JRF):
Since January 1, 2022, the Institute of Energy Economics has been a member of the Johannes Rau Research Foundation (JRF) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It comprises 16 state-funded, scientific institutes with around 1,500 employees in NRW and an annual turnover of over 100 million euros. The non-profit association was founded in 2014 as an umbrella organization for legally independent, non-university and non-profit research institutes. The JRF institutes work together across disciplines, conduct joint public relations work, promote young scientists and are evaluated by external reviewers. In addition to the scientific members, the state of NRW is a founding member, represented by the Ministry of Culture and Science.
If you would like to learn more,
Please visit the EWI website at https://www.ewi.uni-koeln.de/en/.