Centre for research in regional economics and economic policy (CERPE)

The Centre for Research in Regional Economics and Economic Policy (CERPE in French) has been set up by the "Walloon Economy Group" that was established in 1981 within the Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Business Administration.

Renamed "Centre for Research on the Walloon Economy" in the middle of the 90's, the Centre for Research was designed for developing harmoniously two complementary fields of research:

  • Applied studies and contributions to political decisions through economic analyses and decision-making tools. These works were generally financed by public authorities;
  • Theoretical works devoted to local public, regional and spatial economics.

Finally renamed "Centre for Research in Regional Economics and Economic Policy " since 2007, the Centre for Research employs about twenty members (academics and scientifics). The center mainly focuses its researches in two areas: SPATIAL AND REGIONAL ECONOMICS and ECONOMIC POLICY.

These two areas are divided into four main research's fields , which bind the members' works:

  • Cost of Capital, Effective Taxation and Investment ;
  • Regional Dynamics ;
  • Labour Economics and Employment Policy ;
  • Fiscal Federalism, Public Finance of the Federal State, Regions and Communities .

In the continuity of the centre's original missions, research combines theoretical works in Geographical Economics, Labour Economics, Regional Policy... and applied works in Regional Economics and Economic Policy with a special glance at the Walloon Region into the institutional context of Belgium.

The research produced by the centre leads to publications in specialized and general scientific journals. Some works are also well spread in political, economic and social circles.