Maik Wolters

Prof. Dr. Maik Wolters is Research Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys at the ifo Institute for Economic Research (since October 2020). Concurrently he is Affiliate Professor and Research Fellow at the Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Research Fellow at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Prior to joining ifo, he held professorships at the University of Würzburg (2017-2020) and the University of Jena (2012-2017), and was Junior Professor at Kiel University and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (2010-2012).

Education

• Ph.D. (Dr. rer. pol.), Goethe University Frankfurt, 2007-2010
• M.Sc. Quantitative Economics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 2005-2007
• M.A. International Business, ESC Rennes School of Business, 2004-2005
• Vordiplom, Bielefeld University, 2002-2004

Research Interests

Prof. Wolters’ work lies at the intersection of monetary economics, macro-econometrics, and applied forecasting. He studies the transmission of monetary policy, especially during financial crises, and develops econometric techniques for real-time estimation of business-cycle indicators such as the output gap. A second strand of research investigates global financial cycles and their historical evolution since 1880. Recently, he has also examined energy-market shocks, analysing supply and demand disruptions in the German natural-gas market.

Scientific Awards & Recognition

While no specific awards are listed, Prof. Wolters’ research is published in top-tier journals such as the Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of International Money and Finance, Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, and the International Journal of Forecasting, attesting to strong peer recognition.

Research Projects & Grants

• ifo Konjunkturprognose (ifo Business-Cycle Forecast) – ongoing internal project producing quarterly macro forecasts.
• Gemeinschaftsdiagnose 2018-2022 – funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) to deliver the Joint Economic Forecast for Germany.

Teams & Networks

He leads the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys team at the ifo Institute and collaborates extensively with the Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, serving as a bridge between academic research and policy-oriented forecasting.