The Wales Productivity Challenge

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 Henley, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Economics, Director of Research Engagement and Impact Cardiff Business School 
• Rhian Elston, Investment Director at Development Bank of Wales.
• Ben Cottam, Head of Wales, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

For more information on the topic:

• Wales’ Productivity Challenge: Exploring the issues 
• The Wales Productivity Forum 
• Scoping the future of Innovation Policy in Wales, May 2021 by Rick Delbridge, Dyla Henderson and Kevin Morgan

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.