Productivity Puzzles

What is the best thing government can do to help improve business productivity? Provide more business support? Create better conditions for doing business? Or simply, get out of the way. In other words, can government policy and business growth ever become a happy marriage? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by a co-host: Stephen Roper Enterprise Research Centre Innovation Research Caucus The Productivity Institute Bart and Rebecca are joined by two guest speakers: Jane Galsworthy, Tera Allas, For more information on the topic: The Productivity Agenda Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? Should we be worried about business dynamism?The State of Small Business Britain 2023 About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

What is business dynamism? Do we need a bit more turbulence in business creation, growth and change to get productivity up again? This episode, the first of three on the productivity of firms, looks at the mechanism between productivity and business dynamism, whether there are big differences between countries, and whether and how we can get a bit more turbulence. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by a co-host: Rebecca Riley Bart and Rebecca are joined by two guest speakers: John Van ReenenJavier Miranda For more information on the topic: Firms and Inequalities Declining Business Dynamism in Europe: The Role of Shocks, Market Power, and Technology Trend in UK business dynamism and productivity The Productivity Agenda About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The final episode of Productivity Puzzles Season 2 examines whether 2023 has brought us closer to putting the productivity puzzle together. What are some of the most important insights from this season of the podcast? And what can we learn from The Productivity Institute's Productivity Agenda? The conversation covers the challenges in institutional decision-making, the diffusion of technology and skills, and diversity in firm performance, investment and the adoption of good practices, as well as possible pro-productivity policies for the future. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane CoyleAdrian Pabst Mary O’MahonyStephen Roper For more information on the topic: The Productivity AgendaLevelling Up the UKNational Institute UK Economic Outlook: Summer 2023Productivity in UK healthcare during and after the COVID-19 pandemicSkills Innovation and Productivity: The Role of Further Education Colleges in Local and Regional EcosystemsTownscapes: A Universal Basic Infrastructure for the UK About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Is the UK Productivity Puzzle anywhere closer to being solved? Where do we see progress? And what are the pieces of the jigsaw that still need to be found? This episode of Productivity Puzzles, released during National Productivity Week, examines the outlook for productivity growth and the best policies that will lead to better outcomes. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Ed Balls, Andy Haldane, Rachel Wolf, For more information on the topic: The Productivity Agenda Why Hasn’t UK Regional Policy Worked? The views of leading practitioners Tackling the UK’s regional economic inequality: binding constraints and avenues for policy intervention Productivity Puzzles The UK’s Productivity Problem: Hub No Spokes National Productivity Week: a collaborative effort to boost the UK’s productivity National Productivity Year – 60 years on: reflections and lessons The changing geography of jobs Levelling Up: insights from The Productivity Institute About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

How do we measure innovation and compare it across countries? And how can it be that the UK is doing so well as an innovation nation, while we seem to be underperforming on productivity? This episode of Productivity Puzzles takes a deep dive into the latest 2023 Global Innovation Index (GII) and its implications for the UK's productivity. The UK ranks fourth on the Global Innovation Index, showcasing strengths in R&D, scientific output, and intangible asset intensity. But why does that not translate into productivity gains? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, Anna Valero, For more information on the topic: The Global Innovation Index 2023: Innovation in the face of uncertainty United Kingdom ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2023 Science and Technology Cluster Ranking Global Innovation Index 2022. What is the future of innovation-driven growth? Science and innovation policy for hard times: an overview of the UK’s Research and Development landscape Is the UK a world leader in science?Learning to grow: How to situate a skills strategy in an economic strategyBeyond Boosterism: Realigning the policy ecosystem to unleash private investment for sustainable growthGrowing clean: Identifying and investing in sustainable growth opportunities across the UKEnduring strengths: Analysing the UK’s current and potential economic strengths, and what they mean for its economic strategy, at the start of the decisive decade About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

What makes a business productive? Do businesses have a sense of what they’re good at and where to improve? This episode of Productivity Puzzles looks at the Productive Business Index produced by Be The Business, one of The Productivity Institute’s strategic partners. The index, which has been published since 2020, serves as a barometer on how business leaders think their organisation is faring. The discussion looks at what UK businesses can do to catch up with peers in the G7 and how governments can help them to get there. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Anthony ImpeyHannah Barlow, Managing Director at Dunsters FarmBarry Leahey, President at Playdale For more information on the topic: The G7 Productivity Business Index: Putting productivity in context Productive Business Index, Edition SixUK lags behind G7 peers on productivity due to ‘complacency’Why Productivity is So Weak and UK CompaniesHow to become a disruptive leader in a family businessDunsters Farm: The evolution of a family-run business in unprecedented timesDo your research before investing in new tech About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

What have policies to boost science, technology and innovation done for productivity? Which policies are most effective? Which countries have been most successful in using them? This episode of Productivity Puzzles steps away from the usual panel format to engage in a reflective conversation between Bart van Ark and Dirk Pilat, a seasoned expert with over three decades of experience in shaping science, technology, and innovation policies. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by Dirk Pilat For more information on the topic: The Rise of Pro-Productivity Institutions: A Review of Analysis and Policy Recommendations Artificial Intelligence in Science. Challenges, Opportunities and the Future of Research Quantifying industrial strategies across nine OECD countries “Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find?”American Economic Review Adoption of Quantum Technologies and Business Model InnovationWant to speed scientific progress? First understand how science policy worksEconomic Impact of Public R&D: An International PerspectiveIs the UK a world leader in science? About Productivity Puzzles Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

How have some troubled cities overseas turned themselves around? What did they invest in? How did they organise themselves? Cities are concentrations of economic activity where businesses tend to locate, not just because many of their customers are there, but also because that’s where most of the skilled workers live and where – more broadly – innovation is happening. Economists call this agglomeration effects. But these benefits do not come automatically. Some cities have successfully reinvented themselves, but others struggled in this transformation, such as Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. What lessons can be learned for the UK from successful Turnaround Cities? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Philip McCannSusanne FrickIan Taylor For more information on the topic: Lessons from successful ‘turnaround’ cities for the UK Turnaround Cities: German Case Studies. Insights from Dortmund, Duisburg and Leipzig Turnaround Cities: French Case Study: Insights from Lille Turnaround Cities: Spanish Case Study: Insights from the Basque Country & Bilbao Turnaround Cities: Anglo-Saxon Case Studies. Insights from Pittsburgh (PA), Newcastle (NSW) and Windsor (Ont.)The Fiscal Implications of ‘Levelling Up’ and UK Governance Devolution About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Will artificial intelligence rescue us from the productivity demise? If humans cannot get productivity up, can intelligent machines bring about the productivity revival? While certainly not the only digital technology that has come along in the past few decades, AI perhaps speaks to our imagination more than all those before it as it directly impacts on the daily activities of many listeners to this podcast. This episode analyses various facets of AI, including generative AI, its potential applications, estimations of productivity gains, drivers and barriers to adoption, labour market effects, and the UK's strategic response. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Erik Brynjolfsson, Tera Allas, Lea Samek, For more information on the topic: Machines of mind: The case for an AI-powered productivity boom The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth A portrait of AI adopters across countries: Firm characteristics, assets’ complementarities and productivity The supply, demand and characteristics of the AI workforce across OECD countries A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation The human capital behind AI : Jobs and skills demand from online job postings Identifying and characterising AI adopters: A novel approach based on big data The human capital behind AI: Jobs and skills demand from online job postings About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Can we make the economy greener and still be productive? Or even better, can productivity help us to make the economy greener? This episode of Productivity Puzzles examines what climate change and the transition to a Net Zero means for productivity, and whether the challenges to green the economy make it even harder to raise productivity. Crucially, can productivity help to make the economy greener? Can green technology and innovation be used more productively than other technologies? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Anna Valero, Antoine Dechezleprêtre,Jonatan Pinkse, For more information on the topic: Growing clean: Identifying and investing in sustainable growth opportunities across the UKAre ‘green’ jobs good jobs? How lessons from the experience to-date can inform labour market transitions of the futureProductivity opportunities and risks in a transformative, low-carbon and digital ageDriving low-carbon innovations for climate neutralityMission Zero. Independent Review of Net Zero About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Is the five-day work week becoming something of the past? Does working less make us and the organisations that we work for better off? Could it even make us more productive? This episode explores the four-day work week, which has become a popular topic in the media, chats at the water-cooler, and, more recently, in boardrooms. With more firms committing to a shorter work week without a noticeable cut in workers’ wages, Bart and his guests look at how we could maintain productivity while reducing hours by around 20%. To put it differently, can productivity per hour be increased by 25%? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Nina Jörden, Joe Ryle, Jon Boys, Senior Labour Market Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. For more information on the topic: The results are in: the UK's four-day week pilotEmployer perspectives on moving to a shorter working week About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

How do Further Education Colleges contribute to the provision of skills needed for innovation and productivity in regions, cities and towns? How do they identify what businesses need, and how do they work with firms, local government and other schools? This episode of Productivity Puzzles focuses on the findings of a summary report looking into these issues, which was commissioned by The Productivity Institute and supported by the Gatsby Foundation. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Jen Nelles, Ben Verinder, For more information on the topic: Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: The Role of Further Education Colleges in Local and Regional EcosystemsFECS, innovation, and skills: A literature review About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

There is a new UK government department for science, innovation, and technology. Will the new standalone entity turn Britain into the science superpower that it hopes to become? Will the new department lift productivity growth during the hard times that the country is currently facing? This episode of Productivity Puzzles investigates these issues and more. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Richard Jones, Diane Coyle, For more information on the topic: Science and innovation policy for hard times: an overview of the UK’s Research and Development landscapeDiagnosing the UK Productivity Slowdown: Which Sectors Matter and Why?Bennett Institute websiteSoft MachinesSoft Machines: Nanotechnology and Life The Free-Market Innovation Machine: Analyzing the Growth Miracle of Capitalism Are Ideas Getting Harder to Find? Science Policy Under Thatcher The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain Hybrid Corn: An Exploration in the Economics of Technological Change Report of the Machinery of government committee The ‘Haldane Principle’ and other invented traditions in science policy Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy: Markets, Speculation and the State About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

What do we know about where productivity is heading? What will happen to productivity in the UK, around Europe, and even around the world? This episode takes a forward-looking perspective on future productivity and what needs to be done to realise that productivity potential. What policy changes can be made and what measures can businesses implement to improve the productivity outlook. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Catherine Mann, Kitty UssherKlaas de Vries, For more information on the topic: Total Economy DatabaseGlobal Economic Outlook Global Growth Projections for The Conference Board Global Economic Outlook 2019 What is the future of innovation-driven growth: Productivity stagnation or revival? How To Increase Business Investment: IoD response to the Treasury workstream on ‘People, Capital and Ideas’ About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Should the next Prime Minister embrace productivity as a cornerstone of the policy agenda for the new UK government in September? Can it help to get us through the economic winter ahead of us, and onto a path of sustained recovery? What policies are most critical, what should be continued, strengthened or perhaps stopped? The final episode of Season 1 of Productivity Puzzles looks at the policy agenda for the new government, with discussion on the key elements that will help productivity to recover. In the short-term, what role does productivity have in dealing with the current problems of rising cost and shortages of labour and energy? Over the long-term, what should the government focus on to address the issues in a fundamental way? To access the Making Public Sector Productivity Practical report referenced in this episode, visit Capita’s website. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Catherine Mann, Adrian Pabst, For more information on the topic: Tax cut vows are a distraction from the UK’s woeful productivityCan public services improve their productivity without new funding?Making Public Sector Productivity Practical Covid-19 and Productivity: Impact and ImplicationsOutlook for UK Households, the Devolved Nations and the English RegionsProductivity in the UK: Evidence ReviewLevelling Up: The Need for an Institutionally Coordinated Approach to National and Regional Productivity About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Despite showing slow productivity growth over the past decade, the public sector has performed better than the private sector and there is quite a bit of scope for further improvement. This instalment of Productivity Puzzles delves into how and why productivity could grow in the public sector. This episode is a prelude to the publication of the Making Public Sector Productivity Practical report, which is soon to be released by The Productivity Institute and Capita. You can pre-register to access the report on Capita’s website. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Paul AbrahamStephen AldridgeAnna Smart For more information on the topic: Making Public Sector Productivity Practical - Executive SummaryImproving public sector efficiency to deliver a smarter state, 2016, Stephen Aldridge, Angus Hawkins and Cody Xuereb.Institutional drivers of efficiency in the public sector About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

How can productivity benefit not just business and the economy, but also ourselves? What does it take for a society to grow productivity and raise well-being? Can digital technology make us happier, as well as more productive? In this episode, we look at which investments are needed to create more well-being and what role social factors, such as trust, play in raising productivity and well-being. The discussion is varied, with conversations about how we measure well-being effectively and what further data is needed to make informed choices, as well as a debate on whether digital technology has a positive impact on our lives and on our productivity as a whole. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Conal SmithTim HazledineDiane Coyle For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute resource centreWell-being and Productivity: A Capital Stocks ApproachTrust, Deep Trust, Productivity and Well-being in 136 CountriesTime Use, Productivity, and Household-Centric Measurement of Welfare in the Digital EconomyWorld Happiness Report About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Did you know that the manufacturing sector in Wales accounts for a larger share of the economy than elsewhere in the UK? That the Welsh economy is also developing exciting new activities in arts and culture and tackling the difficult balancing act between raising productivity and improving health and well-being head on? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the productivity performance of Wales and how it stacks up against the rest of the UK. We’ll discuss the key drivers, sectors and resources as well differences between large and small businesses and regions. There is also an interesting question on how productivity fits in with the Welsh Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the parallels between Net Zero and productivity growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Andrew HenleyRhian ElstonBen Cottam For more information on the topic: Wales’ Productivity Challenge: Exploring the issuesThe Wales Productivity ForumScoping the future of Innovation Policy in Wales About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Are economies making the most of their human and material resources? Through most of modern history, we've assumed that progress in technology and efficiency will make every person employed and our work more productive over time. Is this a hopeful trend? Is it still holding true? Will it hold true throughout the 21st Century? This special episode of Productivity Puzzles has been produced in conjunction with The Conference Board, a non-profit business membership and research group organisation based in New York. For a change, The Productivity Institute’s Managing Director Bart van Ark is not hosting, but is instead being interviewed about global productivity by The Conference Board’s CEO, Steve Odland. The topics covered in this episode include globalisation, the role of governments in facilitating productive companies, the diffusion of technology, labour shortages and whether productivity growth is linear. Our guests: For more information on the topic: Global Labor Productivity 2022: Stagnating, But Still Above Prepandemic Levels About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Why has economic growth slowed down? Have we already exhausted the benefits from the digital revolution? Are the trusted institutions of the 20th century now failing in the investments most needed for future growth in productivity? This episode takes a deep dive into the book Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy, which provides a new explanation for why growth has slowed and why we need a reset of institutions and policies. The topics covered include R&D, software, design, training, reputation & branding and business processes. Intangible capital offers the same characteristic as tangible capital of providing value over time, but it is not something you can touch and feel. It includes many assets that are critical to modern businesses, such as data, software and R&D. Crucially, intangibles are frequently characterised by scalability, sunkenness, spillovers and synergies. Our guests: Jonathan HaskelStian WestlakeDiane Coyle For more information on the topic: Restarting the Future. How to Fix the Intangible EconomyGrasping the intangible nettlesCapitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible EconomyDiagnosing the UK Productivity Slowdown: Which Sectors Matter and Why? About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. It’s funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.