Call For Papers
Seventh ECB Workshop on Forecasting Techniques - New Directions for Forecasting

Deadline for submission: 31 January 2012

The European Central Bank (ECB) is holding the Seventh ECB Workshop on Forecasting Techniques in Frankfurt am Main on 4 and 5 May 2012.

TOPICS: The workshop provides a forum for the presentation of both theoretical and applied contributions that can help identify new directions for forecasting, particularly in the light of the issues raised by the recent financial and sovereign debt crises. The ongoing turbulence in the global economy, and especially in financial markets, requires a critical assessment of existing methods and the development of new paradigms in order to provide reliable analytical support for macroeconomic policy-makers. Topics that are of particular relevance to the 2012 workshop include:
1. comparative assessment of linear and non-linear forecasting models;
2. forecasting the macroeconomic implications of fiscal and financial stress;
3. forecasting rare events;
4. density forecasts and forecast combination;
5. forecasting performance and future directions with micro-founded models.

The scope of the conference should nonetheless be considered to be wider than the themes listed above, and submissions from all promising areas of forecasting are strongly encouraged.

INVITED SPEAKERS: Graham Elliott (University of California, San Diego), John Geweke (University of Technology Sydney), Andrew Harvey (University of Cambridge) and Kenneth Wallis (University of Warwick) have already confirmed their participation as invited speakers.

PAPER SUBMISSION PROCEDURE: Manuscript in PDF format should be submitted to: conf-forecasting@ecb.europa.eu and must be received by 31 January 2012. Accepted papers will be communicated by 28 February 2012.

EXPENSES: The travel and accommodation expenses of invited presenters and discussants will be covered by the ECB.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: Gianni Amisano, Marek Jarocinski, Geoff Kenny and Michele Lenza (all ECB).