International comparison of industrial development in the European context — the problems

Conclusion The index of production enables us to analyse current developments in the countries considered in the cyclical context, the information on real value added that is available for these branches of industry not being sufficiently up to date. In 1999, the division of labour within industry and between industry and the services sector changed, both nationally and in the international context. There was a rise in the nominal and the real ratios of intermediate input. Our conclusion is that, at least in some branches, the structural changes between 1995 and 1999 were of greater importance in Germany than in the other countries. In view of such structural changes the index of production cannot adequately reflect the dynamic of these branches in an international comparison. Different developments in the real ratios of intermediate input and divergent real developments in value added that are evident in the statistics are partly the result of the different methods of price deflation used in the countries and branches considered. The real value added gives a distorted picture of the development in output in these branches in the individual countries. The development in the index of production probably overstates the dynamic of German industry compared with industry in the other countries considered for the period on which this article is based, while understating the trend in value added. It follows from this that the indicators designed to measure output in economic sectors are not enough to give a realistic picture of the trend in output in branches of industry for international comparison. More information, e.g. the trends in employment and investment, also needs to be taken into account.     

中纺圆桌论坛纵论经纬前瞻未来

2005年12月21日，由中国纺织杂志与中纺投资发展有限公司共同发起、瑞士苏拉集团独家协办的中纺圆桌论坛正式启动。作为行业媒体，我们听过、看过也感受过了太多的论坛，一种报告式的论坛风让我们沉闷不已，陈旧的话题和观点，让我们在豪无收获之余而倍显尴尬，而这一次，在2005年岁末的这次中纺圆桌论坛，我们似乎呼吸到了一种别样新鲜空气。短短半天的时间，昆仑饭店三百余人的会场，也成了观点的集散地，有理有据有实，而且还有大胆的设想，让我们听到了太多的信息，也受到了太多的启发。正如中国纺织工业协会副会长兼《中国纺织》杂志社社长陈树津所说，集中探讨2006年宏观以及行业经济增长与相关的热点，这不仅是促进行业经济持续健康协调发展的需要，并且对各级政府和企业的决策也；肾起到积极的作用。论坛无非是一种服务，为纺织企业提供一种信息服务，从这个角度讲，所谓授人以鱼，不如授人以渔。按照这样的思路，中纺圆桌论坛又究竟告诉了企业什么？价值又有多大？对企业来说．可操作性又有多强？这，需要论坛信息的再现，让企业在揣摩中找到求渔之处。[编者按]     

中国羽绒服帝国的缔造者高德康

有人这样精辟地评价高德康从一个农家子弟成长为一个知名企业家，是他的第一次升华；从致富一方到实现产业报国，是他的第二次升华；现在到了“创世界名牌，扬民族志气”的时候，则是他的第三次升华。     

The Year 2005 at DG Competition: The Trend towards a More Effects-Based Approach

This first review of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) gives an overview on DG COMP’s mandate and the main developments of 2005. The discussion includes institutional and policy developments, as well as the main competition policy decisions and Court judgments in the merger, antitrust, and state aid areas. It is argued that the trend towards a more effects-based analysis in EU competition policy had an impact on the assessment of competition cases, as well as on the development of soft law. For example, the effects-based approach was put high on the agenda with the publication of the Article 82 discussion paper. Similarly, the publication of the State Aids Action Plan (SAAP) launched a “more economic approach” in European state aid assessment. In line with its objective to focus resources on key sectors, two major inquiries were launched in the energy and financial sectors.The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not in any way represent an official position of the European Commission. Until 1 September 2006, Lars-Hendrik Roeller was the Chief Economist at DG Competition. He is now the President of the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin and a Professor at Humboldt University.     

Auswirkungen von Enhanced Annuities auf den Bestand eines Versicherers

The value for money of a standard annuity is the higher, the longer the life expectancy of an insured, and therefore it is only acceptable for persons with an above average life expectancy. The discrepancy is intensified by tax regulations that favor lifelong annuity payments opposed to a lump sum. This discrimination of impaired insureds could be prevented if so-called enhanced annuities were offered, i.e. products where the annuity paid is the larger, the lower the person’s life expectancy. The article presents a quantitative comparison of the risk profile of insurance companies offering standard annuity contracts compared to enhanced annuities and an analysis of the impact of adverse selection on a standard insurer. By definition of individual mortality rates a heterogeneous insurance portfolio is specified. Besides we model the individual underwriting of enhanced annuities. A Monte Carlo Simulation provides results to compare the profit/loss situation of a portfolio of traditional annuity products and a portfolio of enhanced annuities with individual underwriting of different quality and to assess the impact of selection effects.     

Regionale Strukturpolitik und Wirtschaftswachstum

Ohne ZusammenfassungErweiterte Fassung der Antrittsvorlesung an der Universität Wien am 16. März 1967.     

Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The regional dimension of innovation and the globalization of science: the case of biotechnology in a peripheral region of the European Union

This article presents the results of an analysis of the relationship between public sector research and industry development in the field of biotechnology in a peripheral region of the European Union: the Region of Valencia (Spain). It contributes empirical data on the delocalized impact of research-industry relations in a globalized economy. It also uncovers a gap between a relatively well-developed public research sector in biotechnology and a weak biotechnology industry. The analysis raises questions as to the role of the concept of predominantly local knowledge communities in regional innovation systems, as well as the model of linear technological development, both of which exert an important influence on decision making in research and development (R&D) and innovation. A high level of R&D is shown to be a necessary condition for stimulating innovation, but does not suffice. Rather, R&D must be integrated with a number of different actions to correct deficiencies in the regional innovation system.