Field of activities
KOF analyses the development of the Swiss economy from a shorter-term perspective (economic analyses and forecasts) against the backdrop of longerterm developmental trends (growth and structural change). The research projects, products and services provided by the KOF cover a broad spectrum of topics.
Regular surveys (in the form of business, investment and innovation tendency surveys) guarantee an up-to-date, comprehensive information system for the short- and medium-term analysis of the overall economy, for individual branches of industry, for the construction sector and for cantonal/regional studies. The main activities of the KOF (analysis and prognostics of the Swiss economy, search for leading indicators, research on political economic questions) are therefore based on the business tendency survey results. Constant research based on modern empirical methods (econometric models
for the overall economy and for separate branches of industry, time series analyses) assures that quality is maintained in the analysis and forecasting of cyclical developments and structural change. At an international level, the institute works together with authoritative organisations like the OECD and the IMF. KOF is an active member of various international academic and research associations (CIRET, AIECE, EUROCONSTRUCT). Since 2000, the CIRET office has been run at KOF.
Status
The Swiss Economic Institute is an institute of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), and as such an independent body.
Organisation
KOF currently employs more than 30 researchers. Some of them also lecture at the ETH and at the Zurich University. The institute is structured in the following three research divisions: Business Cycle Research; International Economics; Structural Change.
