Best Smart Prosperity Institute Podcasts (2024)

1
UK Election 2024: A Productivity Plan 52:20

15d ago52:20

52:20

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 c…

1
How do business leaders think about productivity? 53:33

1M ago53:33

53:33

Why should firms care about productivity? How does it add to the bottom line? What exactly drives productivity? And how can you get better at it? This episode is a conversation with three current and former business leaders talking about how they think about productivity, what it means to them, and what practical productivity measures their firms u…

1
Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? 59:31

3M ago59:31

59:31

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, Professo…

1
Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

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 …

1
Wrapping up Productivity Puzzles 2023: brief interviews with productivity experts 43:05

7M ago43:05

43:05

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…

1
Revisiting the UK productivity puzzle: national and regional perspectives 1:14:06

8M ago1:14:06

1:14:06

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 Profe…

1
Why does the UK do so well on the Global Innovation Index? 54:34

8M ago54:34

54:34

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 ra…

1
What makes firms productive? Lessons learned from across G7 economies 51:05

9M ago51:05

51:05

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 busin…

1
Science, Technology, Innovation and Pro-Productivity Policies 47:50

11M ago47:50

47:50

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 wi…

1
Turnaround Cities: Lessons learned for the UK 50:37

12M ago50:37

50:37

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 – inno…

1
Artificial Intelligence and Productivity 53:24

1y ago53:24

53:24

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 impac…

1
Greening Productivity 52:53

1y ago52:53

52:53

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…

1
Can We Make the Four-Day Week Work? 52:36

1y ago52:36

52:36

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 commi…

1
Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: Further Education Colleges and Place 53:54

1+ y ago53:54

53:54

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 the…

1
Science and Innovation Policy for Hard Times 54:32

1+ y ago54:32

54:32

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 …

1
Global and European Productivity Outlook 2023-2030 53:31

1+ y ago53:31

53:31

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 implemen…

1
The Productivity Policy Agenda: Short-Term Priorities and Long-Term Commitments 1:00:47

2y ago1:00:47

1:00:47

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 Seaso…

1
Making Public Sector Productivity Practical 49:37

2y ago49:37

49:37

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 Mak…

1
Productivity and well-being 50:08

2y ago50:08

50:08

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 tr…

1
The Wales Productivity Challenge 52:22

2y ago52:22

52:22

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 d…

1
Can productivity rescue the global economic recovery? 29:50

2y ago29:50

29:50

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 o…

1
Restarting the Future: How Intangibles Can Fuel Productivity 54:01

2y ago54:01

54:01

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 …

1
Staying productive in uncertain times 55:19

2y ago55:19

55:19

How do we respond to uncertainties that crises create? Are they holding us back in investing, hiring and innovating? Or can crises make us more agile and resilient, perhaps even more creative and inventive? How do we balance risks and opportunities? And what might that mean for productivity? The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and the …

1
Mar 31: Are electric vehicles at a tipping point in Canada? 28:40

2+ y ago28:40

28:40

Are electric vehicles at a tipping point? The price of gasoline is spiking and suddenly so is demand for electric vehicles. Though Canada has been behind its peers when it comes to EV adoption, with only 5% of new vehicle purchases being electric in 2021, that could change quickly. Are we at a tipping point? This episode shares the latest data on m…

1
New business formation and productivity 50:02

2+ y ago50:02

50:02

Why do we need new firms? How important is business creation for employment and productivity? How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the churning of businesses? In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we discuss business dynamism, which is about the birth, growth and decline of businesses, also called churning. The evidence shows that churning …

1
Mar 16: How did solar get so cheap? 1:07:34

2+ y ago1:07:34

1:07:34

How did solar get so cheap? This episode comes courtesy of the smart folks at Energy vs. Climate podcast. Solar energy is the good news story of the 21st century so far. How did a clean energy technology drop from costing 105 dollars per watt of electricity down to just 20 cents over the span of a few decades? And how can other clean technologies r…

1
The Links Between Productivity and Pay 52:06

2+ y ago52:06

52:06

Productivity is key to sustained economic growth, but how does it make each of us financially better off? Do productivity gains always end up in our pockets in terms of better pay? In this episode, we’ve invited scholars from the US, Canada and the UK to discuss their recent research, published in the International Productivity Monitor, which sugge…

1
Ep 32: What next for Conservatives and climate change? 25:21

2+ y ago25:21

25:21

Canada's conservative party is back to the drawing board to come up with a climate plan. What does a credible conservative climate agenda look like in 2022? Is carbon pricing part of the package? Conservative insider Ken Boessenkool talks about the state of his party and how to mend a climate rift spreading in the rank and file. w/ Ken Boessenkool …

1
Feb 16: Carbon capture - why climate experts are divided over it 33:45

2+ y ago33:45

33:45

Despite being the world's second-biggest cause of climate change, most projections tell us that oil can be part of a climate friendly future. How so? The answer lies in a technology called Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage - or CCUS. But not everyone agrees that CCUS is a climate solution. This episode hears from both sides of the debate, and …

1
Levelling Up and Productivity: The Role of Industrial Policy, Institutions and Fiscal Mechanisms 54:24

2+ y ago54:24

54:24

How do we level up regions in a sustained manner - raising productivity and living standards, and reducing inequalities? Why do institutions matter and what should change to make it work? The government introduced its Levelling Up agenda to the UK as part of its 2019 election manifesto and a long-promised White Paper on the subject is expected soon…

1
Dec 8: The biggest green economy stories of 2021 45:17

2+ y ago45:17

45:17

Phew, we did it, one more year of survival for the human race! To celebrate, we bring you the best and worst of the green economy in 2021. Four of Canada’s top journalists join host Eric Campbell for a fun retrospective on the year’s top stories: the triumphs, the failures, the surprises and the cruel ironies. And, because there’s a lot riding on t…

1
Health and Productivity in the Workplace 50:43

2+ y ago50:43

50:43

Are healthy workers productive workers? And if so, why do companies still struggle to put health and well-being at the centre of good business performance? And how can this be changed? In this episode, host Bart van Ark is joined by Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Alliance Manchester Business School. He’s a wor…

1
Nov 24: The post-covid fossil fuel boom 31:20

2+ y ago31:20

31:20

The post-covid fossil fuels boom Don’t look now but the world is in a fossil fuels boom. As the economy bounces back from covid-19, the global demand for oil, gas and coal is skyrocketing. Yet didn't international leaders just make new climate pledges that promise to cut out these fossil fuels? How do we make sense of this contradiction? How long w…

1
Can labour shortages help raise productivity? 42:51

2+ y ago42:51

42:51

How do we keep our shelves stocked for Christmas? Can we be sure our favourite restaurant will stay open? Does the NHS have the staff to reduce ever-growing waiting lists? Can productivity growth help to face the challenges of rising labour shortages in the UK economy? In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the issue of an increased shortag…

1
Nov 10: Are your savings fuelling climate change? 29:42

2+ y ago29:42

29:42

Are your savings fuelling climate change? Canadians are sitting on record levels of savings. These household savings are being leveraged, in turn, by banks and pension funds to make major investments. But what kinds of investments? Are your savings being used to finance major fossil fuel projects? What is your bank and your pension fund doing with …

1
Oct 28: How to spend $2-trillion on climate change 29:26

2+ y ago29:26

29:26

How to spend $2-trillion on climate change A new report says it will cost $2 trillion for Canada to transition to net-zero carbon pollution by 2050. What does the money get spent on? Who's going to pay? How big is the return on investment? And what does Canada’s biggest bank plan to do about it? w/ John Stackhouse (RBC) For more info and links, go …

1
Oct 14: Catherine McKenna on the upcoming Glasgow climate talks 29:50

2+ y ago29:50

29:50

Catherine McKenna on the upcoming Glasgow climate talks Canada’s former environment minister takes us behind the scenes of the upcoming UN climate negotiations in Glasgow: what are the big issues, who are the key players, who’s doing the arm twisting, who’s getting their arms twisted, and can the international community get the job done. w/ Catheri…

1
Practical Productivity: How to Transform Performance? 47:59

2+ y ago47:59

47:59

How can companies transform their business by becoming more productive? What are the things stopping us doing this? What simple practical techniques are there to restore and increase productivity? In short, what is practical productivity? We’ve often said it before - productivity is not the thing that keeps most business leaders awake at night. Pro…

1
Sep 29: Why the housing crisis is an environmental problem 30:46

3y ago30:46

30:46

Why the housing crisis is an environmental problem Canada’s severe housing shortage is driving up prices for wannabe renters and homeowners. Yes it’s an economic and equity problem, but is it also an environmental problem? On this episode, three experts expose the environmental angles of the housing crisis, including how it fuels urban sprawl, stif…

1
Sep 15: Is climate change a ballot box issue? 26:08

3y ago26:08

26:08

Is climate change a ballot box issue? With Canada’s 44th federal election looming, we dig deep into Canadian attitudes on climate change. How high a priority is it for Canadians? Is that being reflected in the various leadership campaigns? How have Canadian attitudes evolved over the past ten years? And how do we explain the seismic shift in party …

1
Can we still measure productivity in the modern economy? 52:54

3y ago52:54

52:54

The one big question anyone working on productivity issues gets most is: how do you actually measure it? How do we count what we make? And can we capture everything needed to produce products and services? And can economists and statisticians keep up with the rapid changes in today’s modern economy? To answer these questions, host Bart van Ark is j…

1
Sep 1: A conversation with Katharine Hayhoe 44:17

3y ago44:17

44:17

A conversation with Katharine Hayhoe Katharine Hayhoe is the most influential climate scientist on the planet. She’s also one of the most plain-spoken and down-to-earth. On this episode, she sits down with Eric Campbell to talk about conservative America, the UN’s new climate report, her new book, and why she wants you to talk to your friends about…

1
Aug 18: The carbon footprint of cryptocurrency 27:40

3y ago27:40

27:40

The carbon footprint of cryptocurrency What do Sweden, Argentina, Norway, Belgium, Ukraine and Chile have in common? They all consume less electricity in one year than Bitcoin does. Yes, Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that is shaking up the financial world, is a massive energy hog. In fact, Bitcoin “miners” have been responsible for bringing retired c…

1
How can productivity create sustained growth in Northern Ireland? 45:23

3y ago45:23

45:23

This year marks the centenary of Northern Ireland’s creation. What has it done for the economy? And in particular for the productivity of its people and businesses? Has greater economic stability in the 23 years since the Good Friday agreement helped to advance productivity? And what will Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol mean for productivi…

1
Aug 4: What does a new space age mean for the environment? 24:56

3y ago24:56

24:56

The environmental impacts of space tourism Who has the greener rocket, Jeff Bezos or Sir Richard Branston? Or is it Elon Musk’s Space X?! From the rocket fuel to the emissions to the material waste, we ask what the rise of space tourism means for climate change and the environment here on Planet Earth. With astrophysicist Dr. Parshati Patel (Univer…

1
Jul 21: The high price of Wildfires 27:53

3y ago27:53

27:53

The high price of wildfires It’s the middle of July and hundreds of deadly wildfires are already on our doorsteps, many of them being described by authorities as out of control. This is the kind of runaway “megafire” season scientists have been warning about. Can we afford it? From paying for migrant firefighters to covering billions in insurance c…

1
Will hybrid and flexible work help or hurt productivity and well-being? 44:18

3y ago44:18

44:18

Are hybrid working models good for productivity? Do employers and employees think differently about the pros and cons? And how does flexible working affect our mental health and well-being? Is there a trade off with productivity that we need to think about? Let’s find out. In this episode, host Bart van Ark talks to Andy Start, CEO Government Servi…

1
Jul 7: The costs of extreme heat 24:59

3y ago24:59

24:59

The costs of extreme heat As temperature records were melted around the world over the past few weeks, what do we now know about the costs of extreme heat to our economy, our critical infrastructure and our health? w/ Sarah Gibbens (National Geographic), Jan Polderman (Village of Lytton), Rick Smith (Canadian Institute for Climate Choices) More inf…

1
Jun 23: Paying for nature 24:56

3y ago24:56

24:56

Paying for nature Everybody agrees we should protect more nature. But nature protection doesn’t come cheap. Experts warn that Canada and the world have a multi-billion dollar funding gap. Here are 3 experts on how to close that gap by drawing in capital from unusual suspects. For more info and links, go to: podcast.smartprosperity.ca…

1
Can levelling up raise productivity in the Northern Powerhouse? 42:29

3y ago42:29

42:29

In this episode Bart talks to Lord Jim O’Neill, Dame Nancy Rothwell & Professor Philip McCann about raising productivity in the Northern Powerhouse, a powerful concept introduced more than five years ago with the aim to rebuild a competitive economy in northern England. Our guests have been there from the start and discuss what it’s delivered so fa…

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