Kiel Institute expands research on international trade

"Global supply chains and the interconnectedness in international trade have increasingly come into focus in recent years, due to the Corona pandemic, but also due to geopolitical shifts and very recently due to the Ukraine conflict. Inga Heiland will build on existing structures in Kiel and expand the team as well as the range of topics. As the leading Institute for globalization issues in Germany, we look forward to becoming even more visible in the international research landscape with her," said Kiel Institute’s President Holger Görg.

Heiland moved to Oslo shortly after completing her doctorate in 2016 at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University and the ifo Institute. In Oslo she conducted research at the university and at Statistics Norway. Her main topics are the benefits and challenges of international supply chains and the importance of container shipping for the regional economy. In addition, she conducts research on managing risks when entering new markets for trade and investment and focuses on the opportunities and challenges of European integration. Already in her student days, Heiland received several awards and did research for some time at Stanford University on a Fulbright research grant.

"Both Kiel Institute and Kiel University have very broad research expertise on all aspects of international economics," says Inga Heiland, adding that she already knows and appreciates many of her new colleagues from her time at the ifo Institute. "In addition, maritime commercial shipping has a very special significance here in Kiel in particular. I am also very pleased about the emphasis on policy advice and public outreach at the Kiel Institute. And last but not least, as a passionate racing cyclist, I hope for plenty of tailwind on the Baltic coast."

At the Kiel Institute, Heiland will head a new research center focusing on trade policy, which will pool the expertise of the previous "Trade Policy Task Force". Close cooperation with existing research centers, in particular with International Trade and Investment headed by Holger Görg and the overarching Kiel Centre for Globalization initiative, is envisaged.