Gijsbrecht ‘Gijs’ Dekkers has been working at the FPB since 1999. Within the ‘Social protection, demography and prospective studies’ team, he is responsible for developing, using and managing the dynamic microsimulation model MIDAS. This model is used to simulate information on the potential impact of ageing, tax and social policy on the adequacy of statutory pensions. The results are used, notably, in the reports published by the Study Committee on Ageing.

In addition, Gijs is in charge of various research projects. Firstly, he is the promoter of the MIMBEL project, a research project that is run jointly by the FPB and the CES (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and financed by BELSPO and the FPS Social Security. This project aims to ascertain whether and how immigration impacts the adequacy of statutory pensions. Within the framework of the project, an immigration module and a labour supply equation (Dagsvik-Aaberge) have been integrated into the MIDAS model.

Gijs is also finalizing and promoting several projects that he is responsible for, the most important being the progress project MiDaL, a project run jointly by the FPB and CEPS/INSTEAD and IGSS (both the latter based in Luxembourg). This project has led to, among other things, the development of an instrument for developing dynamic microsimulation models, LIAM2. A second project consists of exporting MIDAS to Luxembourg so it can serve as a basis for the country’s own model.

Finally, Gijs is in charge of a project aimed to export MIDAS to Hungary, allowing this and possibly other countries to build their own national models, as in Luxembourg.