Peter Werner

Peter Werner is a Full Professor of Behavioral Economics and Policy Design at Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics, where he leads research in the Department of Economics (Microeconomics & Public Economics section). He progressed from Assistant Professor (2016-2017) to Associate Professor (2018-2023) before attaining his current full professorship, demonstrating sustained academic contribution within the institution.

His educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Economics, University of Cologne (2005-2009), thesis: 'Behavioral Economics and Agency Problems: Empirical Studies'
• Diplom-Volkswirt in Economics, University of Cologne and Stockholm School of Economics (1999-2005)

Werner's research centers on applying behavioral insights to real-world systems, with dual focus on fundamental social preference mechanisms and practical policy design. His work bridges laboratory experiments with field applications, particularly in wage transparency, pension decision architecture, and organizational incentive structures. Recent methodological innovations integrate population-level surveys with experimental economics to measure preference stability during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of his 2022-2025 publications reveals expanding scope from traditional labor economics into climate behavior and intergenerational solidarity, while maintaining core expertise in experimental methodology. Key trends include increased focus on Dutch pension systems, risk communication frameworks, and cross-generational discrimination patterns using nationally representative samples.

His primary recognition includes:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (2017-2019) for 'Wage transparency in companies' (Horizon 2020 Grant 745894)

Werner actively secures competitive funding through major initiatives:

Current: Netspar Theme Project on risk preference measurement (Instituut Gak)
• Recent: Netspar pension savings project (2019-2023)
• Past: Marie Curie Fellowship (2017-2019)

He coordinates the UM Behavioral Insights Center and co-organizes the M-BEES/M-BEPS symposia series, fostering research-practice integration.

As co-director of the UM Behavioral Insights Center—one of the university's research spearheads—Werner leads interdisciplinary teams applying experimental economics to public policy challenges, with particular emphasis on pension communication and labor market transparency through partnerships with Dutch governmental and financial institutions.