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Productivity Puzzles

by The Productivity Institute
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Latest episodes

  • What Will It Take to Raise UK Productivity?

    October 15, 2026 · 50 min

    Is the UK’s recent productivity recovery a sign of lasting improvement? How could AI, technology adoption and shifting global economic conditions shape the country’s future productivity? This episode of Productivity Puzzles explores the…

  • The Productivity Impetus from Generative AI

    July 30, 2026 · 50 min

    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…

  • Why do Firms (not) Invest?

    June 25, 2026 · 52 min

    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…

  • Ask the expert on… keeping Britain working: health, work and productivity

    May 1, 2026 · 28 min

    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…

  • Ask the expert on… skills, education and regional productivity

    April 30, 2026 · 31 min

    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…

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  • Ask the expert on… what is productivity?

    April 29, 2026 · 30 min

    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…

  • Ask the expert on… making digital technologies deliver productivity

    April 28, 2026 · 30 min

    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…

  • Ask the expert on… regional productivity and place-based growth

    April 27, 2026 · 31 min

    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…

  • What Does it Take to Improve NHS Productivity?

    March 17, 2026 · 51 min

    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…

  • Place-Based Policy Making in Modern Times

    January 16, 2026 · 51 min

    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…

  • Will We Get a Productive Budget?

    November 18, 2025 · 46 min

    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…

  • Lessons Learned and What’s Next?

    October 23, 2025 · 46 min

    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…

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About the show

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.