Founded in 1999 as a joint project of the University of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo (an Italian foundation), CeRP is the first research center in Italy (and one of the first in Europe) with a specific focus on households’ savings, pension economics, population aging and financial literacy. Since September 2006 the Center is affiliated, as a research unit, to the Collegio Carlo Alberto, a research hub for Economics and Social Sciences in general, again jointly established by the University of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo.
The mission of CeRP is to investigate the consequences of population aging, with an emphasis on factors affecting savings for old age, retirement and, in general, the welfare of the elderly. Theoretical and applied policy-oriented research play an approximately equal role in the activities of the center.
CeRP is (and has been since the beginning, except for the year and the half in which she served as Minister of Labor in the Monti Government) coordinated by Elsa Fornero, professor of Economics at the University of Turin, who was the initial creator of the Center. The Scientific Committee is composed of high standing academics from European universities and American research institutions. The staff includes junior and senior research fellows as well as visiting fellows from other institutions.
Research is conducted both at the micro and at the macro level, and a special attention is devoted to policy aspects. The center aims at being a reference point for all institutions dealing with pension issues, both under an economic and a financial perspective. Over the years CeRP has earned a solid international reputation, also thanks to its participation in European research networks and to its international annual conferences
CeRP assigns a primary role to the dissemination of the research output, through conferences, seminars, publications and contributions to the debate on pension issues. CeRP has published several volumes and produces a Working Paper Series.
CeRP is member of the network Centro Interuniversitario Netspar Italy (www.cintia-italy.it) and of the international consortium of the users of SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, http://www.share-project.org/).