Matthias Sutter

Matthias Sutter serves as Director at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn while holding part-time professorships at the University of Cologne (10%) and University of Innsbruck (5%). His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions including the European University Institute in Florence (2013-2014), University of Gothenburg (2007-2013, part-time), University of Cologne (2015-2017, Excellence Chair), and University of Innsbruck (2006-2017).

His educational background includes a PhD in economics (1999) and habilitation (2002), both from the University of Innsbruck. Additional academic recognition includes membership in the German National Science Association (Leopoldina) and Academia Europaea.

Sutter's research program centers on experimental economics, with particular focus on team decision making processes and the development of economic decision capabilities across different age groups. His work investigates how patience, risk preferences, and social behaviors evolve throughout life, and how these economic preferences impact health and economic success. He has made significant contributions to understanding credence goods markets, where information asymmetry between providers and consumers creates unique market challenges. His experimental approaches combine laboratory studies with field experiments to generate robust insights applicable to real-world economic situations.

His publication record demonstrates consistent output in top-tier journals, with recent work spanning diverse topics including energy consumption during crises, workplace climate interventions, vaccination attitudes in polarized environments, and the formation of economic preferences in childhood. The interdisciplinary nature of his research connects economics with psychology, public policy, and organizational behavior, reflecting his broad scholarly impact.

Major Awards and Honors:

• 2017 Hans Kelsen Preis of the Universität zu Köln
• 2016 Pater Johannes Schasching SJ Preis for dialogue between economy, ethics and religion
• 2015 Exeter Prize for Research in Experimental Economics
• 2009 Science Prize of the State of Tyrol
• 2008 Honorary Prizes from Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse and State of Vorarlberg
• 2004 Oberbank-Science-Prize Linz

Sutter serves as Principal Investigator in the Excellence Cluster 'ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy,' funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG). He holds editorial positions as Associate Editor of 'Management Science,' 'European Economic Review,' and 'Economics Letters,' and serves on the Editorial Boards of 'Experimental Economics' and 'Journal of the Economic Science Association.' His work extends beyond academia through popular science communication, including the best-selling book 'Die Entdeckung der Geduld' (The Discovery of Patience) exploring the importance of patience for health and economic success.