The Ifo institute is more optimistic about the growth prospects for the German economy, and has raised its forecast to 2 pct for 2006, Gebhard Flaig of the institute said, according to the pre-release of an article to be published Sunday in Euro am Sonntag "We expect growth between 1.5 pct and 2.0 pct," Flaig said Mid-December, the institute had forecast a growth in German GDP of 1.7 pct in 2006. Flaig also said that Ifo expects Germany's economy to reach a peak in the next two years Ifo's forecast beats that of Germany's new economy minister, Michael Glos, of 1.5-1.8 pct growth in 2006.