Tracking the Rise of Robots: The IFR Database

We present and analyze the dataset on the international distribution of industrial robots by country, industry, and application provided by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) since 1993. After describing the IFR we point out specificities and limitations of its dataset. We explain the process of data collection, develop a correspondence table between the IFR industry classification and the ISIC rev. 4 industry classification, and clarify the applied compliance rules. We further compute average implicit depreciation rates inherent to the robot stocks in the IFR dataset in the range of 4–7% per year between 1993 and 2019. We also find that the share of industrial robots that are not classified to any industry or application has sharply declined since 2005.

Data on Digital Transformation in the German Socio-Economic Panel

Public debates and current research on “digitalization” suggest that digital technologies could profoundly transform the world of work. While broad claims are common in these debates, empirical evidence remains scarce. This calls for reliable data for empirical research and evidence-based policymaking. We implemented a data module in the Socio-Economic Panel to gather information on digitalization in three domains: artificial intelligence (AI), platform work, and digitalized workplace. This paper describes the existing approaches to measure technological exposure, the challenges in operationalization of digital transformation in a household survey, the implemented questionnaire items, and the research potential of this new data.

The Role of Non-performing Loans for Bank Lending Rates

Based on bank level data from the euro area, I investigate the role of non-performing loans (NPLs) for lending rates on newly granted loans. The focus is on an effect caused by the stock of NPLs that extends beyond losses that banks have already incorporated into their reported capital positions. The paper assesses the channels through which such an effect occurs. The results indicate that a higher stock of NPLs is associated with higher lending rates. This relation is driven by net NPLs, which constitute the part of NPLs that is not covered by loan loss reserves. Although the stock of NPLs affects banks’ idiosyncratic funding costs as well, the latter do not seem to constitute an important link between the stock of net NPLs and lending behaviour. This is because the relation between idiosyncratic funding costs and lending rates turns out to be rather weak. Furthermore, NPLs do not strongly affect the banks’ interest rate pass-through.

The Social Sustainability Barometer 2017–2019: Survey Data on the Energiewende

A large majority of citizens supports the German transition toward clean energy production (Energiewende). Yet, the Energiewende involves a large suite of aspects that determine the support. The social sustainability barometer provides a comprehensive data base on a large variety of questions related to the Energiewende that was collected in three survey waves spanning from 2017 to 2019 among more than 6000 household heads.

Which Factors Determine the Adoption of the Internet of Things? Impacts and Benefits

This paper provides first econometric evidence on the determinants of the Internet of Things among firms and on potential performance impacts. The analysis is based on representative firm-level data from 874 German firms. A probit model and an instrumental variable regression serve as econometric approach. The results reveal that especially collaboration platforms and B2B e-commerce increase the propensity to use the Internet of Things. The results further indicate that product innovation is highest for firms jointly using the Internet of Things and collaboration platforms while a reduction of the workforce is also highest in this case. In contrast, there is no evidence for a potential impact on sales development.

The Swiss Household Panel (SHP)

Collecting data on households and individuals since 1999, the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) is an ongoing, unique, large-scale, nationally representative, longitudinal study in Switzerland (N = 9828 households and N = 15,882 persons interviewed in 2020). The SHP aims to provide both continuity and innovation in measurement and data collection. Examples of innovation are the combination of retrospective and prospective longitudinal data, the combination of survey modes notably in refreshment samples and additional studies oversampling specific population groups. This article provides an overview of the SHP – focusing on the survey’s key design features, content, data collection and adjustments, possibilities for cross-national comparisons, data use and accomplishments.

Industry Concentration and Profitability in Europe: The Case of Norway

Several recent studies show that market concentration in the US has increased over time, with firm profits increasing in the same period. The consistency of findings from the US is contrasted by more varying results from studies of the development of market concentration in Europe. In this study, we utilise the completeness of Norwegian microdata to investigate how methodological choices and data limitations impact results with respect to the market concentration and its relationship with profitability. First, we find that concentration in Norway has decreased slightly over the last two decades. Over the same period, profitability has increased slightly for two profitability measures and been stable for the other two. Despite a difference in overall trends, at the industry level, we find a positive and statistically significant relationship between concentration and profitability for three out of four profitability measures, in line with the market power hypothesis. Investigating the effect of methodological choices and data limitations, we find that concentration trends are quite robust to exclusion of smaller companies, the incorporation of ownership structures in concentration measures and the choice of industry classification. However, the positive relationship between concentration and profitability is almost non-existent when using readily available industry classification instead of more product market-oriented industry classifications and disappears completely when we do not exclude export-oriented industries. Our study is relevant for future research, as well as for policymakers, as our results indicate that one should be careful when interpreting results from studies of market concentration that fail to handle these methodological challenges.