Observatories
IRE performs research and delivers its services via three Observatories, each of which responds to specific needs expressed by institutional and entrepreneurial, public and private stakeholders: the Tourism Observatory (O-Tur) – which investigates and shares knowledge in the tourism sector – the Economic Dynamics and Labour Observatory (O-De) – a research, analysis and monitoring tool for local economic competitiveness – and the Public Finance and Energy Observatory (O-FpE) - which monitors and analyzes public finances and the competitiveness of the energy market in Ticino.
Tourism Observatory (O-Tur)
Tourism Observatory (O-Tur), being integrated in the research activity of the Institute for Economic Research (IRE), as well as involving Master of International Tourism of Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland, can therefore benefit from the relevant cooperation and diverse competences, in particular for what concerns observation of economic dynamics. The main objective of O-Tur is to increase and disseminate knowledge on the tourism industry of the Canton, by means of systematic observation and analysis of tourism demand and local supply at the destinations in Ticino with application of qualitative and quantitative methods. Furthermore, O-Tur seeks to implement the monitoring system of tourism which would be of considerable support for strategic decision-making processes of the tourism stakeholders, cantonal administration and tour operators. O-Tur promotes academic research on tourism issues and, together with the other IRE observatories, regularly organizes workshops and seminars dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of debate between professionals and academics on the most topical issues.
Economic Dynamics Observatory (O-De)
A research tool for the analysis and disclosure of structure and trends of Canton Ticino's economy, with particular attention to the labor market. O-De was born in January 2017, it performs the activities previously carried out by the Observatory of economic Policies O-Pol and the Labor market Observatory O-Lav . The activities in which O-De is involved fill a gap about the constant monitoring of the cantonal economic condition. In particular, the Observatory meets the need for a scientific assessment of the cantonal economic complexity compared with other organizations, analyzes labor market, federal and cantonal policies, economic dynamics of companies. Together with the other IRE observatories, it regularly organizes workshops and seminars dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of debate between professionals and academics on the most topical issues.
Public Finance and Energy Observatory (O-FPE)
The Observatory for Public Finance and Energy (O-FPE) operates within the Institute for Economic Research (IRE) at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). Founded in 2017, O-FPE is in charge of monitoring and analysing the state and evolution of both public finances, and the energy market in the Canton Ticino, in light of the dynamics observed in the neighbouring Swiss and European regions that strongly influence the reference scenario for Ticino. Based on the sound experience of its researchers and by working in close cooperation with O-DE and O-Tur, O-FPE aims at supporting decision making and fostering an informed debate in the fields of public finance and energy. Research and reports are commissioned by the Dipartimento delle Finanze e dell'Economia (DFE) of the Canton Ticino, and most can be freely accessed by any citizen or stakeholder with an interest in understanding and interpreting these topics. Together with the other IRE observatories, regularly organizes workshops and seminars dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of debate between professionals and academics on the most topical issues.
PanelCODE
The PanelCODE analysis tool is part of the applied research and service activities that IRE carries out together with it’s academic and teaching functions. In addition to it’s products – which include analysis of the economic situation, employment indicator and analysis of companies’ dynamics – PanelCODE allows to interact with the entrepreneurial situation, offering a service characterized by specificity and reciprocity. Processing a sample of Ticino entrepreneurs’ answers to a questionnaire sent on a monthly basis, PanelCODE provides a list of valuable short-term indications for monitoring the current state of the economy. Through the re-elaboration of these assessments, collected in the form of primary data, it is possible to approximate the economic trend in real time.
