Publications

The KCG has various series of publications to provide research findings and policy implications to different interested groups, e.g., students, academics, policy makers and the public. The list of publications will be updated on a regular basis and is available as a PDF file here.

KCG Working Paper No. 30: Technological Sophistication Made in China? – New Insights from Germany’s Evaluation of COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests

13th November 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Authors: Silas Dreier and Wan-Hsin Liu

By analyzing a unique dataset from Germany’s evaluation of COVID-19 antigen rapid tests, we show that Chinese firms can excel under today’s global competition and produce tests at quality levels higher than China’s income level would suggest[...]

KCG Working Paper No. 29: Exports and firm survival in times of COVID-19 – Evidence from eight European countries

9th November 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Author: Joachim Wagner

This paper uses firm level data from the World Bank Enterprise surveys conducted in 2019 and from the COVID-19 follow-up surveys conducted in 2020 in eight European countries to investigate the link between exporting before the pandemic and firm survival until 2020[...]

KCG Working Paper No. 28: Big Data Analytics and Exports – Evidence for Manufacturing Firms from 27 EU Countries

22nd September 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Author: Joachim Wagner

The use of big data analytics (including data mining and predictive analytics) by firms can be expected to increase productivity and reduce trade costs, which should be positively related to export activities. This paper uses firm level data from the Flash Eurobarometer 486 survey conducted in February – May 2020 to investigate the link between the use of big data analytics and export activities in manufacturing enterprises from the 27 member countries of the European Union[...]

KCG Working Paper No. 26: Special Economic Zones in Ghana: A Case Study of Enclaves in Tema, Dawa and Sekondi

6th June 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Authors: Vera Acheampong, Nana Yaw Agyeman Owusu and Nina Kupzig

Many countries introduced concepts related to Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to promote export-led economic growth. However, the concepts and implementation of SEZs vastly differ, resulting in large differences between and within countries. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the current state of Ghana’s Special Economic Zones while identifying challenges to SEZ enclave development in Ghana[...]

KCG Working Paper No. 25: Special Economic Zones and Household Welfare: New Evidence from Ghana

5th June 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Authors: Charles G. Ackah, Robert D. Osei, Nana Y.A. Owusu and Vera Acheampong

The study evaluates the impact of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on household welfare (per capita consumption expenditure (PCE) and poverty status) in Ghana using the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey Dataset. SEZs spillover effect on household welfare within a binary treatment condition may lead to finding inadequacy for policy[...]

Africa’s Female Entrepreneurs – Underfunded or Underperforming?”

23rd May 2023
KCG Secretary
Authors: Charles Ackah, Holger Görg, Aoife hanley and Cecília Hornok (Forthcoming, Small Business Economics)

We explore the export performance of Africa’s underperforming female entrepreneurs, using the Ghanaian ISSER-IGC panel, a comprehensive dataset of manufacturing firms for 2011–2015. Uniquely, the data provides information about the severity of key business constraints, across both male and female entrepreneurs[...]

State Aid can Produce Unintended Losers

23rd February 2023
KCG Secretary
Publications
Publications
Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed to transform the State Aid Temporary Crisis Framework to facilitate the green transition in Europe. One main policy focus of the proposed Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework is to relax the strict state aid rules in the EU, in order to facilitate “the roll-out of renewable energies and to support the decarbonisation of the industry”[...]

Who wins and who loses from state subsidies?

6th September 2022
KCG Secretary
Authors: Jun Du, Sourafel Girma, Holger Görg, Ignat Stepanok (published online, Canadian Journal of Economics)

China is perceived to rely on subsidizing firms in targeted industries to improve their performance and stay competitive. We implement an approach that allows for the joint estimation of direct and indirect effects of subsidies on subsidized and non-subsidized firms. We find that firms that receive subsidies experience a boost for productivity[...]