Studienzentrum Hohe Warte is an independent institute researching the interplay of economics, ethics and politics, in fundamental research as well as in applied practice. We combine empirical work with the publication of the journal Oikosphere and an economics publishing house.
Applied economic research focusing on regulatory policy, industry and the ethics of markets.
Oikosphere. A quarterly interdisciplinary journal. First issue in peer review, forthcoming 2026.
Series on economic policy and monographs. 47 titles in print.
Research
Studienzentrum Hohe Warte is an independent institute researching the interplay of economics, ethics and politics, in fundamental research as well as in applied practice.
We examine economic phenomena in their normative, regulatory and societal dimensions. Our research addresses decision-makers in business, academia and politics who look beyond the purely quantitative for theoretical foundations and practical orientation.
We analyse markets, corporate strategies and economic structures, with a methodological range from empirical fundamental research to applied feasibility and competition analysis.
Economic action is normatively embedded. We examine the ethical foundations of entrepreneurial decisions, questions of corporate responsibility and the normative preconditions of sustainable economic orders.
Markets emerge and operate within political orders. We analyse regulatory-policy relationships, regulatory consequences and the mutual interdependence of economic and political systems.
Working with us
We work with companies, public institutions and academic organisations, as a research partner, expert reviewer and analytical interlocutor.
Current research project
A Research Framework for Open Demonstration Projects in Alpine Regions. Designed as an open framework: municipalities, energy utilities and research partners are invited to join.
Further research projects are in preparation and will be announced upon publication of the corresponding papers.
Publishing & Journal
Our academic publishing house issues monographs and the independent, peer-reviewed journal Oikosphere - open access, focusing on economics, ethics and political order.
Oikosphere is published quarterly and features empirical and theoretical contributions at the intersection of economics, ethics and political order, with a particular focus on the DACH region and European economic issues.
Special focus: Energy · currently in double-blind peer review
Forthcoming autumn 2026
About SHW
The roots of Studienzentrum Hohe Warte (SHW) reach back to the 1980s. The institute emerged from the management seminars in the environment of the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), which originally saw themselves as a continuing-education institute for WU graduates. In 1995 the institute became independent and was renamed. Since then, Studienzentrum Hohe Warte has continuously developed as an independent education, research and consulting institution.
In its present orientation, SHW combines fundamental scholarly work with application-oriented research and consulting. Its focus lies on questions at the intersection of economics, society, institutions, leadership, education and public administration. The institute sees itself as an academically shaped space for reflection and work, in which scholarly analysis, practice-oriented problem solving and institutional development are brought together.
A particular emphasis lies on economic and social-science fields, in particular questions of economic and regulatory policy, institutional economics, applied ethics, organisational development, and steering and decision-making processes in business and the public sector. The institute’s work addresses companies and organisations as well as public institutions, decision-makers and professionally interested academic audiences.
SHW works within an international academic environment and maintains relationships with universities and academic institutions across Europe and beyond. Its institutional partners and academic reference institutions include, among others, Woolf University and the University of Huddersfield. These cooperations stand for the international connectivity of SHW’s work, for academic exchange, and for the continuing development of scholarly standards in teaching, research and institutional quality assurance.
In addition to its institute and research activities, SHW runs its own academic publishing house. The publisher issues specialist literature with a particular focus on economic policy, institutional economics, applied ethics and socially relevant questions. The catalogue currently comprises 47 titles in print. The publishing house thereby contributes to scholarly documentation, to professional debate and to the communication of economic and social-science content.
Together, the institute and the publishing house form the core of Studienzentrum Hohe Warte. They combine scholarly substance, institutional experience and practice-oriented application. The aim is to provide sound analyses, quality-assured publications and professionally reliable consulting services that meet academic standards while remaining usable for concrete decision-making and development processes.
Contact
Whether a research partnership, an expert report, a contribution to Oikosphere or a publishing inquiry: we will get back to you within two working days.