Key Areas and Objectives
The Centre of Excellence for Transformation Research is based at the Chair of Economics, Macroeconomics and Economic Policy at the University of Mannheim and is funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation as part of the ‘Current Issues in Transformation’ cluster of excellence.
The centre’s research focuses on energy and industrial policy. It examines which measures are necessary to ensure that the restructuring of the economy and society is socially just, environmentally sustainable and economically competitive. This concerns, on the one hand, the issue of public investment, and on the other, necessary industrial policy interventions for the restructuring and transformation of the economy.
The aim of the centre of excellence is to provide a robust scientific foundation for fact-based and forward-looking economic policy. The research findings are intended to support decision-makers in politics, business and society in shaping the socio-ecological transformation in a democratic, efficient and equitable manner.
Our Team
Moritz Lomitschka
Research Assistant
Moritz Lomitschka is studying Economics at the University of Mannheim and has completed a semester abroad at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, specialising in quantitative macroeconomics. His research interests lie in the field of economic policy issues relating to transformation, regulation and empirical methods. As a student assistant at the Centre of Excellence for Transformation Research, he supports the team with research and analysis tasks as well as the preparation of publications.
Ella-Sophie Lausterer
Research Assistant
Ella-Sophie Lausterer is in her fifth semester of her Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Mannheim. Her main areas of interest are economic policy and public finance, with a particular focus on applying theoretical concepts to current economic issues. As a research assistant at the Chair of Economics under Prof. Dr Tom Krebs, she contributes to applied research and is deepening her knowledge of the empirical analysis of macroeconomic relationships.
Celine Reich
Research Assistant
Celine Reich completed her Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Mannheim and is currently in her second semester of a Master’s degree in Economics at the University of Heidelberg. Her research focuses on family economics and on economic issues relevant to society and social policy. She has gained practical experience through internships at the State Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Economics, amongst others. In particular, she is interested in how economic policy decisions can create the framework conditions for equal opportunities and sustainable development.
Dr. Ekaterina Jürgens
Head of Macroeconomic Analysis
Dr Ekaterina Jürgens conducts research and teaches at the University of Mannheim, focusing on economic policy, macroeconomic modeling, and empirical macroeconomics. She earned her Ph.D. in economics from Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg. While working at the Institute for Macroeconomics and Economic Research (IMK) of the Hans Böckler Foundation, she conducted a research project to determine investment needs in municipal infrastructure in cooperation with the German Institute for Urban Studies (difu).
Patrick Kaczmarczyk, PhD
Head of Industrial and Energy Policy
Dr Patrick Kaczmarczyk is a deputy member of the German government’s expert commission on reforming the debt brake and has served as an expert witness in the German Bundestag. He also advises international organisations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), on issues relating to development finance and international economic policy.
Tom Krebs, PhD
Director
Prof Dr Tom Krebs is a member of the Minimum Wage Commission and has served as a visiting professor at the Federal Ministry of Finance. As an economic policy adviser, he has worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. His expertise on issues relating to public investment, macroeconomic stability and distributional policy is regularly drawn upon in policy debates and committee work.
Our Consultancy Services
The Centre of Excellence for Transformation Research feeds scientific findings directly into economic and fiscal policy-making processes. Our researchers are active in various advisory bodies, commissions and international organisations, thereby playing a key role in shaping the policy debate on socio-ecological transformation in Germany and Europe.
