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Productivity Puzzles

The Productivity Institute

Join Bart van Ark, Professor of Productivity Studies at the University of Manchester, and the managing director of The Productivity Institute as he brings you discussions with leading minds from the UK and abroad about how to improve productivity for almost everything: from health care to car manufacturing, at national and regional levels, for business and for your own personal productivity.

This podcast series investigates why UK productivity is lower than in many other countries and why are there such large differences in productivity across and within the regions and devolved nations. We’ll also get the best insights from research on smart policies and effective business practices to increase productivity and find out how this will drive prosperity, wellbeing and inclusive sustainable growth.

Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research project involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight regional productivity forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policymakers at all levels of government.

Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk

The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

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S4 · E11
July 30 · 50 min
The Productivity Impetus from Generative AI
Generative AI has moved from curiosity to everyday tool with remarkable speed. But the big productivity question is not simply whether people are using it; it is whether firms, sectors and economies can turn that use into lasting productivity gains. This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the challenges and opportunities that Generative AI presents, centring on a new article just published in the International Productivity Monitor, the joint journal of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards and The Productivity Institute. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Martin Baily, Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Brookings Institution Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy and Research Director, Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge For more information on the topic: Martin Neil Baily, David M. Byrne, Aidan T. Kane and Paul E. Soto, The Potential for Sustained Productivity Impetus from GenAI, International Productivity Monitor, Issue 50, pp 5-26. Martin Neil Baily, 2023. "Lessons from a Career in Productivity Research: Some Answers, A Glimpse of the Future, and Much Left to Learn," International Productivity Monitor, Issue 44, pages 120-149, Fall. Productivity Puzzles Podcast: Ask the expert on… what is productivity? Tera Allas, AI and productivity: the ladder of leakage, Substack. Carol Corrado, Jonathan Haskel, Cecilia Jona-Lasinio, Artificial intelligence and productivity: an intangible assets approach, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Volume 37, Issue 3, Autumn 2021, Pages 435–458 Zvi Griliches, Hybrid Corn: An Exploration in the Economics of Technological Change. Econometrica, October 1957, 25(4), pp. 501-22. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E10
June 25 · 51 min
Why do Firms (not) Invest?
Why do firms invest when they do and not necessarily when they should? Are firms too cautious to invest? Or just realistic about uncertainty? Is the real investment gap about money or about mindset? This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores why the UK has invested less than its peers, drawing on two brand-new studies from The Productivity Institute: one looking at how firms invest, the other at how managers think. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, Chair Advisory Board, at The Productivity Institute. Stephen Roper, Professor of Enterprise at Warwick Business School, founding Director of the Enterprise Research Centre, Co-Director of the Innovation Research Caucus, and Research Programme Lead on “Firms in Transitions” at The Productivity Institute. Catherine Mann, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, External Member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England, Programme Lead on “Finance and Investment” at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: E. Golubova, S. Roper (2026) Understanding productive investment decisions: Investment patterns and decision-making processes, The Productivity Institute and Enterprise Research Centre. T. Allas, S. Roper (2026) Ambitious but risk averse: UK manager attitudes and the investment gap, The Productivity Institute. C. Mann (2026) Finance, Investment, and Productivity: Distillation and Synthesis of TPI Research Programme on Finance. Productivity Insights Paper No. 085, The Productivity Institute. T. Allas, D. Zenghelis (2025) The UK’s capital gap: a short-fall in the trillions of pounds that will take decades to bridge. Productivity Insights Paper No. 055, The Productivity Institute. C. Mann (2024) UK Business Investment: Economists, Managers, Financiers. An Integrated Framework to Analyse the Past and Underpin Prospects. Productivity Insights Paper No. 036, The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity?, The Productivity Institute. Y. Xue, C. Mann (2026) Cost of Capital and Investment: Evidence from the UK. Working Paper No. 072, The Productivity Institute S. Roper, R. Owen (2026) The early-stage, equity-finance journey of potential high-growth companies in the UK, Department for Business and Trade. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E9
May 1 · 27 min
Ask the expert on… keeping Britain working: health, work and productivity
If one in five working‑age people are inactive, what does that say about the UK’s productivity problem? Why does ill health push so many people out of work in the UK, but not in peer countries? Rising economic inactivity linked to health has become a major challenge for the UK economy. In this discussion, Charlie Mayfield draws on insights from the Keep Britain Working review to explore the role employers can play in supporting people to remain in work. The conversation examines how workplace practices, health support and collaboration between employers, government and communities can help strengthen workforce participation and productivity. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Charlie Mayfield, Chair, Keep Britain Working Review, and Former Chair, John Lewis Partnership For more information on the topic: Keep Britain Working: final report, independent report for the UK Government. George Williams, How to keep Britain working: Making the Vanguard Phase a success, Lancaster University, (05/03/2026). Sam Atwell, How to Keep Britain Working, Health Foundation (28/10/2025). CIPD, Keep Britain Working review makes employee wellbeing impossible for business to ignore, says CIPD (11/11/2025). Productivity Puzzles podcast, Business model innovation and strategic productivity. The Productivity Institute, Working ‘on’ the business not just in it (21/06/2021). About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E8
April 30 · 31 min
Ask the expert on… skills, education and regional productivity
If universities are engines of growth, why isn’t productivity accelerating? What’s the point of educating graduates if regions can’t keep or use them? Skills are central to regional economic performance, but translating the supply of graduates into broader workforce productivity remains a challenge. In this session, Duncan Ivison discusses the relationship between higher education, further education and place-based development. Using Greater Manchester as an illustration and drawing on international examples, the conversation explores how policy can strengthen skills systems, support graduate retention and migration, and better connect education with regional economic growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester For more information on the topic: Duncan Ivison: higher education is a system, not a market, Times Higher Educational Supplement (17/10/2024). Aadya Bahl and Henry G. Overman (2026) Hive of talent: what would it take to raise skills and productivity in Greater Manchester? Centre for Economic Performance. Recording of Skills, Talent and Productivity in Greater Manchester event, The Productivity Institute YouTube channel (29/04/26). Redouane Sarrakh, Jason Heyes (2026) Training Practices and Skills Needs in Yorkshire, the Humber and the North East, Yorkshire, Humber and North East Productivity Forum Paper 2026, The Productivity Institute. Damian Grimshaw, Mary O’Mahony, Anthony Rafferty (2026) Skills, Organisations and Worker Engagement: Summary of People Research Programme, Productivity Insights Paper No. 083, The Productivity Institute. Athene Donald, Joe Peck and Andy Westwood (2025), Prioritising Skills for Regional and National Growth, in Bart van Ark et al, eds., Joining Up Pro-Productivity Policies in the UK, The Productivity Institute and National Institute of Economic and Social Research, pp. 91-101. Lessons for UK universities from the Australian experience by Duncan Ivison, Financial Times (23/09/24). Free speech, the Fallowfield Redevelopment, and catching the 142: An interview with Duncan Ivison, by Ella Logan-Wilson and Miles Davenport, the Mancunion (09/10/24). University of Manchester launches Unit M to supercharge inclusive growth, The University of Manchester (08/10/24). Unit M launches first deep tech accelerator cohort to fast-track innovation across Greater Manchester (2026) The University of Manchester. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E7
April 29 · 29 min
Ask the expert on… what is productivity?
Do we need to rethink how we measure productivity in the age of digital technologies and AI? Productivity is a fundamental measure of how effectively people, firms and places transform resources into improved living standards. Diane Coyle talks about why understanding productivity depends on improved economic measurement, including more accurate valuation of intangible, natural and digital capital. She also explains why the effects of technologies such as digitalisation and AI remain difficult to capture in traditional statistics, with significant implications for policy and how we judge economic progress. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle (2025) The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Princeton University Press. Diane Coyle (2025), Old Wine in New Digital Bottles: The Challenges of Measuring the Digital Economy. Review of Income and Wealth, 71. Stephen Roper and Chander Velu (2026) Adoption, implementation, alignment – maximising the performance benefits of digital investment, Productivity Insights Paper No. 084, The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Will hybrid and flexible work help or hurt productivity and wellbeing? Productivity Puzzles podcast, Industrial policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Productivity and well-being. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Science and Innovation Policy for Hard Times. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Books Festival: Diane Coyle & Jan Mischke. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E6
April 28 · 29 min
Ask the expert on… making digital technologies deliver productivity
Why doesn’t digital technology always translate into productivity growth? What if the technology and your business model don’t quite fit? Despite unprecedented advances in digital technologies, productivity growth has stalled, revealing a striking paradox: innovation is abundant, but its benefits are not. We discuss with Chander Velu why the issue lies not in the technologies themselves but in the failure to redesign how organisations create and capture value when adopting automation, digital fabrication, or quantum technologies. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Chander Velu, Professor in Innovation and Economics, University of Cambridge For more information on the topic: Stephen Roper, Chander Velu (2026) Adoption, implementation, alignment – maximising the performance benefits of digital investment, Productivity Insights Paper No. 084, The Productivity Institute. Silvia Massini, Mabel Sanchez-Barrioluengo, Xiaoxiao Yu, Myungun Kim, Philip Chen, Chander Velu (2025) Adoption of Advanced Digital Technologies and Platforms: Insights from a UK national survey, Working Paper No. 049, The Productivity Institute. Chander Velu (2026) The business of quantum technologies and the future of productivity. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Business model innovation and strategic productivity. Productivity Puzzles podcast, The Productivity Puzzle: Lessons Learned and What’s Next?. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E5
April 27 · 30 min
Ask the expert on… regional productivity and place-based growth
Why do places matter for productivity? If productivity is local, why is policy still so centralised in the UK? Productivity varies widely across regions, shaping economic opportunity and growth. Drawing on international evidence and Philip McCann’s extensive research on regional development, the discussion considers how cities and regions can strengthen their economic performance and contribute to national productivity growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Philip McCann, Sir Terry Leahy Chair in Urban and Regional Economics, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester For more information on the topic: Philip McCann (2026) Regional Access to Capital and Investment Finance: Summary of results from TPI Research Programme. Productivity Insights Paper No. 086, The Productivity Institute. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, Philip McCann (2026) Knowledge Diffusion and Regional Productivity Growth: Summary of TPI Research Programme 2023-2026. Productivity Insights Paper No. 087, The Productivity Institute. Raquel Ortega-Argilés, Pei-Yu Yuan (2024) Do UK Research and Collaborations in R&I Promote Economic Prosperity and Levelling-up? An analysis of UKRI funding between 2004-2021, Working Paper No. 046, The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Turnaround Cities: Lessons learned for the UK. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Industrial policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms. Productivity Puzzles podcast, Levelling up and the Northern Powerhouse. Unlocking Wales' Productivity Potential podcast, Understanding Productivity in Wales. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E4
March 17 · 50 min
What Does it Take to Improve NHS Productivity?
Why does productivity vary so widely between NHS organisations? Can new technologies like AI and remote monitoring help the health service seize the opportunity to redesign care for the long term? This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the critical challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s health service, with a discussion centring on the NHS Productivity Commission’s major new report, From Diagnosis to Delivery: A Framework for Accelerating NHS Productivity Growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Adviser at the Health Foundation and co-chair of the NHS Productivity Commission. Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School and co-chair of the NHS Productivity Commission. Mark Britnell, Professor at the Global Business School for Health at University College London and Chair of Health Innovation Manchester. For more information on the topic: Tera Allas, Anita Charlesworth, Hannah Chhoa-Howard, Katie Fozzard, Alison Moulds and Stephen Rocks (2025) From Diagnosis to Delivery: A Framework for Accelerating NHS Productivity Growth, The Health Foundation. Mark Britnell (2019) Human: Solving the global workforce crisis in healthcare, Oxford Academic. Joel Hoskins and Bart van Ark (2025) Productivity and Responsible AI in Adult Social Care, The Productivity Institute. World Economic Forum (2016) Misaligned Stakeholders and Health System Underperformance, World Economic Forum White Paper. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E3
January 16 · 50 min
Place-Based Policy Making in Modern Times
What does it really mean to grow a place? This episode unpacks the concept of place-based productivity and explores how it differs from traditional regional development. The discussion examines real-world examples and whether this approach works everywhere, from rural towns to major metropolitan areas. The episode also looks at how the world is changing around place-based strategies, diving into the big shifts shaping the landscape: deglobalisation, digitalisation, and political upheaval. Should policy stay technocratic, or embrace politics to make place-based growth stick? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Jeff Anderson, Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. Andy Westwood, Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Manchester and Policy Director at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: Jeff Anderson and Andy Westwood (2026) The New Political Economy of Place-Based Policymaking, The Productivity Institute. Joe Peck, Huw Spencer, Samuel Thorpe and Andy Westwood (2025) Place-Based Industrial Policy: Six Lessons for the UK, The Productivity Institute. The Productivity Institute, Investment in Places campaign. Jack Shaw (2025) The role of place and the ‘zonification’ of growth, The Productivity Institute. Andy Westwood (2025) Regional growth, Labour and the biggest decisions still to come, The Productivity Institute. Tony Pipa and Natalie Geismar (2020) Reimagining rural policy, Brookings. The Guardian (2025) ‘Deeply demoralizing’: how Trump derailed coal country’s clean-energy revival. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, The revenge of the places that don’t matter (and what to do about it), Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Volume 11, Issue 1, March 2018, Pages 189–209. Bennett School of Public Policy (2019) Measuring wealth, delivering prosperity. UK Government (2022) Levelling Up the United Kingdom. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E2
Nov 18, 2025 · 45 min
Will We Get a Productive Budget?
The Chancellor’s Budget is on the horizon. Will it bring higher taxes, deeper cuts, or more borrowing? Does the Budget really matter for productivity? And how does productivity shape the Budget? This episode of Productivity Puzzles looks into these big questions for this important fiscal event, as well as examining where public spending and investment should go to help boost productivity. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Tera Allas, Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School Louise Hellem, Chief Economist at the Confederation of British Industry Stephen Millard, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute (2025) Joining up Pro-Productivity Policies. Confederation of British Industry (2025) Autumn Budget Submission. National Institute of Economic and Social Research (2025) Economic Outlook: Stability First. Health Foundation (2025) From diagnosis to delivery: A framework for accelerating NHS productivity growth. UK Government (2025) UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy Office for Budget Responsibility (2025) Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2025. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S4 · E1
Oct 23, 2025 · 45 min
Lessons Learned and What’s Next?
Productivity is the key to economic growth and living standards. But has the productivity puzzle been solved yet? Have we been asking the right questions? And what’s next? After five years of research at The Productivity Institute, we’re kicking off season 4 of the podcast with reflections from our recent international research conference on productivity, held at the University of Manchester on the 4-5 September 2025. Five big themes. And still, big questions ahead. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Josh Martin, Economic Advisor at the Bank of England and Research Associate with the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence. Mary O’Mahony, TPI Research Director and Professor of Applied Economics at King’s Business School. Catherine Mann, External member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England and Honorary Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School and The Productivity Institute. Chander Velu, Professor of Innovation and Economics at The University of Cambridge. Kate Penney, Research Fellow at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill, Kate Penney, James Wilson and Raquel Ortega-Argilés (2025), Regional Productivity Agenda, The Productivity Institute. Bart van Ark, Stephen Millard, Adrian Pabst, Andy Westwood et al. (2025) Joining Up Pro-Productivity Policies in the UK, The Productivity Institute and National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Diane Coyle, Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill (2023), The Productivity Agenda, The Productivity Institute. Josh Martin (2025), The UK Productivity Slowdown: A Review of Timing, Magnitude, and Drivers, International Productivity Monitor Number 48, Spring 2025. Institute for the Future of Work (2025), Final Report of the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing, Institute for the Future of Work. Chander Velu (2024), Business Model Innovation: A Blueprint for Strategic Change, Cambridge University Press. The Productivity Institute, Productivity Research Conference 2025 programme. TPI Productivity Lab website. About Productivity Puzzles: Productivity Puzzles is brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, nine 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.
S3 · E12
Jun 19, 2025 · 53 min
Trade and UK Productivity: From Global Markets to Local Gains
This episode explores the vital link between international trade and the UK's productivity challenges. Host Bart van Ark is joined by three experts as they discuss why trade matters for productivity, the current state of UK trade post-Brexit and COVID and the structural issues impacting trade and productivity. The conversation also looks at potential trade policies and agreements to strengthen the UK’s position and boost productivity. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Jun Du, Professor of Economics at Aston Business School & Director of the Centre for Business Prosperity. Emily Fry, Senior Economist, the Resolution Foundation. Alan Lowry, CEO, Environmental Street Furniture, Newtownabbey. For more information on the topic: J. Du., Shepotylo, O., & Yuan, X. (2025). How did the Brexit uncertainty impact services exports of UK firms? Journal of International Business Policy. Emily Fry, James Smith and Gregory Thwaites (2025), Trump Tariff turmoil: The impact of higher US tariffs and the risk of a global recession, Spotlight, The Resolution Foundation, 14 April. Emily Fry and Sophie Hale (2024), Trading blows. How should Britain buy and sell in a turbulent world?, The Resolution Foundation. Anton Spisak (2025), A perfect storm: Britain’s trade malaise, weak growth and a new geopolitical moment, Centre for European Reform, 21 May. Matthew Ward (2020), UK trade, 1948-2019: statistics, House of Commons Library, Number CBP 8261, 10 December. Halima Jabril and Stephen Roper (2022), Of chickens and eggs: Exporting, innovation novelty and productivity, The Productivity Institute, Working Paper No.027. Holger Breinlich and Martina Magli, Changes to firms’ service delivery post-Brexit, 7 November 2024. VoxEU. 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.
S3 · E11
May 29, 2025 · 57 min
Books Festival: Diane Coyle & Jan Mischke
This episode explores new insights into the productivity puzzle from two fresh pieces of work. First, Diane Coyle discusses her book The Measure of Progress, explaining why what we measure is profoundly important but increasingly difficult. Then, Jan Mischke from the McKinsey Global Institute shares a striking finding from their report The Power of One: a relatively small number of "standout firms" deliver a very big share of a country's productivity growth. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy and Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. Jan Mischke, Partner at McKinsey Global Institute. For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle (2025), The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Princeton University Press. Jan Mischke et al. (2025), The power of one: How standout firms grow national productivity, McKinsey Global Institute May. Kate Barker (2025), Review of The Measure of Progress, The Society of Professional Economists, 14 April. McKinsey Global Institute (2025), Online summary of The Power of One. The Productivity Institute (2023), The Productivity Agenda. A blueprint for boosting the UK’s productivity. The Productivity Institute (2024), Productivity Primer. Why productivity matters for the economy, business and places. Diane Coyle and Leonard Nakamura (2021), Time Use, Productivity, and Household-Centric Measurement of Welfare in the Digital Economy, The International Productivity Monitor. Diane Coyle (1999), The Weightless World: Strategies for Managing the Digital Economy, MIT Press. Diane Coyle (2021), Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be, Princeton University Press. Zvi Griliches, Productivity, R&D, and the Data Constraint, The American Economic Review Vol. 84, No. 1 (Mar., 1994), pp. 1-23. 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
S3 · E10
Apr 16, 2025 · 58 min
A Regional Productivity Agenda for England
Regional growth is a key component for improving productivity growth in the UK. The gaps in productivity between English regions are unusually large compared to other countries. Why is that? What can be done about it? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Andy Westwood, Professor in Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Manchester & Policy Director at The Productivity Institute. Jennifer Williams, Northern England Correspondent at The Financial Times. Jack Shaw, Senior Advisor at Labour Together and Policy Fellow at The Productivity Institute's Policy Unit. For more information on the topic: Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill, Kate Penney, James Wilson and Raquel Ortega-Argilés (2025), Regional Productivity Agenda, The Productivity Institute. Bart van Ark and Andy Westwood (2025), The Productivity Agenda Needs to be Joined Up and Scaled Up Across Regions, The Productivity Institute, 27 January Jennifer Williams (2025), Need more joined up thinking on the north, The Financial Times, 3 April. Andy Westwood (2025) Regional growth, Labour and the biggest decisions still to come, Policy Brief, The Productivity Institute, 5 March. Jack Shaw (2024), Devolution: the importance of scale and coterminosity, Policy Brief, The Productivity Institute, 28 November. JP Spencer (2025), Nation Rebalanced: How do we create a country that works for all places?, Labour Together. Michiel Daams, Colin Mayer and Philip McCann (2024) Regions, cities and finance: The role of capital shocks and banking reforms in shaping the UK geography of prosperity, Productivity Insights Paper No. 041, The Productivity Institute. Michiel Daams, Philip McCann, Paolo Veneri and Richard Barkham (2023) Capital Shocks and UK Regional Divergence, Working Paper No. 035, 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.
S3 · E9
Jan 30, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
A Productivity Agenda for the Devolved Nations
In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we examine the productivity performance of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. How do the three devolved nations perform on productivity? What are the differences and the similarities between them? How do they compare to England? The discussion features insights from Melanie Jones, John Turner, and Graeme Roy. Together, they discuss the economic indicators influencing productivity in the devolved nations and explore how regional and national policies can drive productivity growth. Highlighting the role of education, health, and business innovation, the conversation provides an in-depth analysis of the systemic challenges and potential solutions for improving productivity in each of the devolved nations. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Graeme Roy, Professor of Economics, Adam Smith Business School; Assistant Vice Principal, University of Glasgow. John Turner, Professor of Finance and Financial History, Queen’s Business School, Queen’s University Belfast. Melanie Jones, Professor of Economics, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University For more information on the topic: Bart van Ark, Jim Pendrill, Kate Penney, James Wilson, Raquel Ortega-Argilés (2025) Regional Productivity Agenda, The Productivity Institute. Daniel Williams, John Tsoukalas, Bridgette Wessels, Pawel Gaska (2025) Scotland’s Productivity Challenge: Exploring the issues – 2025. Productivity Insights Paper No. 045, The Productivity Institute. Melanie Jones (2025) Wales’ Productivity Challenge: A Focus on the Future. Productivity Insights Paper No. 051, The Productivity Institute. Ruth Donaldson, David Jordan and John Turner (2025) NI Productivity 2040: Addressing Northern Ireland’s productivity gap for greater prosperity, Productivity Insights Paper No. 049, The Productivity Institute. Ruth Donaldson, David Jordan and John Turner (2024) Northern Ireland Productivity Dashboard 2024, The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast (2022) The Wales Productivity Challenge, The Productivity Institute. Productivity Puzzles podcast (2021) Productivity in Northern Ireland, The Productivity Institute. Spotlight podcast (2022) Productivity and workplace dialogue, University of Glasgow. Fatima Garcia Elena, Reitze Gouma, Olga Menukhin, Raquel Ortega-Argilés, William Sarsfield and Ruby Watson (2024), TPI UK ITL1 Scorecards, TPI Productivity Lab, The Productivity Institute. Fatima Garcia Elena, Reitze Gouma, Olga Menukhin, Raquel Ortega-Argilés, William Sarsfield and Ruby Watson (2024), TPI UK ITL3 Scorecards, TPI Productivity Lab, 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.
S3 · E8
Jan 23, 2025 · 54 min
Strategic Productivity: Unlocking the UK’s Productivity Potential
How do different leaders within a firm think about productivity? This can vary significantly between the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Chief Information Officer. How do they work with their teams on productivity-related issues? What are the opportunities and barriers they face? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Irena Teneva, Associate Director of Research & Development team at AICPA/CIMA, which amalgamates the American Institute of Certified Professional Accounts and the UK Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Nina Jörden, Research Associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and a member of The Productivity Institute. Marion Devine, Principal Researcher in Human Capital at The Conference Board Europe. For more information on the topic: The Productivity Institute, (2024) Productivity Primer: Why productivity matters for the economy, business and places. Kate Penney and Jim Pendrill (2022), Strategic Productivity for the Leadership Team, The Productivity Institute. Bart van Ark and Marion Devine (2024) Productivity Through People: New Opportunities for CHROs, The Productivity Institute and The Conference Board. Nina Jörden, Wolé Adaramoye and Gerard Kuenning (2024), Navigating the Productivity Paradox: Strategic Insights from Chief Information Officers, Productivity Insights Paper No. 037, The Productivity Institute. Irena Teneva and Bart van Ark (2025), Unlocking Productivity: Collaborative Synergies for Chief Financial Officers, The Productivity Institute - available soon. AICPA & CIMA (2023), The role of finance professionals in driving productivity. Strategic Productivity – Short Business Course, Alliance Manchester Business School in collaboration with 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.
S3 · E7
Dec 19, 2024 · 50 min
Wrapping Up 2024: Is there a productive growth path forward?
2024 has been quite a year. A new government, big plans, but a growth and productivity revival isn’t visible yet. These things take time. Is the UK still on track for a reset of policy to boost growth and productivity? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with how we're thinking about these subjects? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge & Director at The Productivity Institute. Richard Jones, Vice-President for Innovation and Regional Economic Development and Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, University of Manchester, and Policy Fellow at The Productivity Institute. For more information on the topic: Diane Coyle and Ayantola Alayande. Productivity and Industrial Policy by Design: The UK Experience, International Productivity Monitor, No. 47, Fall 2024. Richard Jones. Taking Anglofuturism Seriously, Soft Machines, 2024. Diane Coyle, Economic Progress and Adam Smith’s Dilemma. National Institute Economic Review, vol. 265, 2023, pp. 5-11. The Productivity Institute’s Response to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, November 2024. Ayantola Alayande and Diane Coyle (2023) Investment in the UK: Longer Term Trends, Working Paper No. 040, The Productivity Institute. Dietrich Vollrath. Fully Grown: Why a Stagnant Economy Is a Sign of Success. University of Chicago Press, 2020. Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan. The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival. Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson. Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity. PublicAffairs, 2023. Diane Coyle. Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be. Princeton University Press, 2021. Diane Coyle, The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Princeton University Press, forthcoming, Spring 2025. 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.
S3 · E6
Oct 3, 2024 · 53 min
Industrial Strategy: What To Do and What Not To Do?
With a new government in town, industrial strategy is back. Why now? How will it help growth and productivity? How do we get it right? And, perhaps equally important, how do we make sure we don’t get it wrong this time? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Dame Kate Barker, Chair of the Universities Superannuation Scheme and Chair of The Productivity Institute’s Governing Council. Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and Specialist partner at Flint Global. Andrew Westwood, Policy Director, The Productivity Institute and Professor of Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Manchester. For more information on the topic: Andy Westwood and Giles Wilkes, Can an industrial strategy help drive productivity growth?, The Productivity Institute. “How can the new government’s industrial strategy help boost productivity?”, an event co-hosted by the Institute for Government and The Productivity institute, 18 September 2024. Giles Wiles, 10 lessons for successfully restarting an industrial strategy, Institute for Government, 24 June 2024. Bart van Ark, Anna Valero and Andy Westwood, Why the UK needs a new institution for growth and productivity: Could a revamped Industrial Strategy Council be the answer?, The Productivity Institute. Andy Westwood, The Return of Industrial Strategy: Why the US and Europe need to Renew Heartlland Communities?, Cogito, 27 January 2023. CIPD, An industrial Strategy for the Everyday Economy, Policy Papers, July 2023. “Levelling Up through industrial policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms”, Productivity Puzzles, The Productivity Institute, January 2022. Diane Coyle and Adam Muhtar, UK’s Industrial Policy: Learning from the Past?, Productivity Insights Paper No. 002, The Productivity Institute. October 2021. 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.
S3 · E5
Jul 18, 2024 · 52 min
Business model innovation and strategic productivity
Why is business model innovation the key to an organisation’s productivity? What does it take to do it right? New technologies and new business practices don’t just come out of the blue. They happen because firms embed them in their processes so they can create a valuable proposition for their customers. This episode explores the challenges and opportunities for both large incumbents and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting new business models, particularly in the context of digital transformation and the transition to a net-zero economy. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sir Charlie Mayfield, former executive chair of John Lewis. Chair of QA Limited and founder and chair of Be the Business. Chander Velu, Professor of Innovation and Economics at the Institute for Manufacturing in the Engineering Department at Cambridge University. For more information on the topic: Chander Velu, Business Innovation: A Blueprint for Strategic Change, Cambridge University Press, 2024. Wit Wannakrairoj and Chander Velu (2021), Productivity growth and business model innovation, Economics Letters, Volume 199, February. The Productivity Institute, Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity?, Productivity Puzzles Podcast, March 2024. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm?, Productivity Puzzles Podcast, April 2024. The Productivity Institute, How do business leaders think about productivity?, Productivity Puzzles Podcast, May 2024. The Productivity Institute, Should we be worried about business dynamism?, blog. The Productivity Institute, Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm?, blog. The Productivity Institute, How do business leaders think about productivity?, blog. 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.
S3 · E4
Jun 27, 2024 · 52 min
UK Election 2024: A Productivity Plan
The election manifestos published in the second week of June 2024 sparsely recognise the importance of productivity. This is perhaps because it's not the most glamorous topic for voters to be excited about being canvassed on their doorstep. But for any incoming government, productivity will need to run through the core of the policy agenda in the coming years. Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. Dame Diane Coyle, Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and Co-Director of The Productivity Institute. Andy Westwood, Policy Director at The Productivity Institute and Professor of Government Practice at The University of Manchester. For more information on the topic: B. van Ark, N. Pike (2024) Election 2024: A productivity plan for the next UK Government, The Productivity Institute. D. Coyle, B. van Ark, J. Pendrill (2023) The Productivity Agenda, The Productivity Institute. B. van Ark, K. de Vries and D. Pilat (2023), Are Pro-Productivity Policies Fit for Purpose? Productivity Drivers and Policies in G-20 Economies, Working Paper No. 38, 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.

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