Zimmern graduated from the
École Polytechnique in 1949 and the
École nationale d'administration in 1955. He worked for
Renault for six years, then ten years at Cegos as Director of Research and Development. He founded the companies Omphale and Single Screw Compressor Inc. in the
United States to sell his screw compressors, for which he held over 500 patents. Zimmern's experience in America helped him discover the
think tank and the role they play in civil society and the economy. In 1985, he founded IFRAP using his own funds to research public policies. He served as Honorary President of IFRAP until 2012. The think tank was registered as a public interest representative in the
French National Assembly, discontinuing its status as a scientific research body. Zimmern was a co-founder of
Contribuables associés. In 2012, he founded the "Emploi 2017" website, aimed at fighting restrictions on business in
France to develop total employment in the country. That same year, he founded the Institut de recherche pour la démographie des entreprises. He was a member of the
Carrefour de l'Horloge. In 1999, Zimmern received the Prix Renaissance de l'économie, awarded by Cercle renaissance for his founding of IFRAP. In 1977, he received a Gold Medal from the
Institute of Refrigeration in
London for his contributions to the refrigeration industry. In 2015, he received the Prix Grammaticakis-Neumann of the
Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. Zimmern died in
Neuilly-sur-Seine on 19 August 2020 at the age of 90. ==Books==