Active Economics & Business Physics & Astronomy

The Productivity Institute

Funder UKRI
Recipient organisation University of Manchester
Funding £26.6M
Period Aug 2020 — Mar 2027

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

The Productivity Institute is setting up eight regional forums across the UK to tackle why some parts of the country are wealthier and more productive than others. This matters because the UK has a persistent productivity puzzle—output per hour worked has grown slowly for years, and the gap between the most and least productive regions is wide. Without understanding why some areas lag behind, policies to boost living standards, wages, and public services remain guesswork. If the research succeeds, it could reshape how governments, businesses, and local leaders invest in skills, infrastructure, and innovation. Instead of one-size-fits-all national policies, regions might get targeted support that reflects their specific challenges—whether that’s weak transport links, a shortage of skilled workers, or struggling industries. The Institute’s Policy Reform Group will feed findings directly into national decision-making, while the forums will connect researchers with employers, unions, and local authorities who can act on the evidence. The goal is not just to diagnose the problem but to give the people who run the economy practical tools to fix it.

View original technical description
Summary continued: The Productivity Institute will be led by the University of Manchester (UoM), whose Alliance Manchester Business School will act as its headquarters. The Productivity Institute will include eight partner institutions across the country: University of Glasgow, University of Sheffield, University of Cambridge, King's College London, Queen's University Belfast, Cardiff University, University of Warwick, and the National Institute of Social and Economic Research. NIESR will coordinate The Productivity Institute's policy outreach as well as establish and lead a national Policy Reform Group. In recognition of the uneven nature of the productivity puzzle across regions and sectors, The Productivity Institute will build capacity throughout the UK by establishing eight Regional Productivity Forums which will act as local focal points to engage our target users, scope their needs and challenges, and understand where The Productivity Institute can add value. These Forums will be supported by experts from the participating universities.

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Researchers

Adrian Pabst (Co-Investigator)Ana Rincon Aznar (Co-Investigator)Andrew Henley (Co-Investigator)Andy Westwood (Co-Investigator)Anna Vignoles (Co-Investigator)Anthony Rafferty (Co-Investigator)Anthony Venables (Co-Investigator)Augustin De Coulon (Co-Investigator)Bart Van Ark (Principal Investigator)Bridgette Wessels (Co-Investigator)Cary Cooper (Co-Investigator)Chander Velu (Co-Investigator)Christopher Warhurst (Co-Investigator)Claudine Bowyer-Crane (Co-Investigator)Damian Grimshaw (Co-Investigator)David Nguyen (Co-Investigator)David Richards (Co-Investigator)Diane Coyle (Co-Investigator)Elvira Uyarra (Co-Investigator)Eugenio Proto (Co-Investigator)Frank Geels (Co-Investigator)Garry Young (Co-Investigator)Irina Surdu (Co-Investigator)Jagjit Chadha (Co-Investigator)Janet Godsell (Co-Investigator)Jason Heyes (Co-Investigator)Jian-Bo Yang (Co-Investigator)Jill Rubery (Co-Investigator)John Tsoukalas (Co-Investigator)John Turner (Co-Investigator)Jonatan Pinkse (Co-Investigator)M Kenny (Co-Investigator)Mary O'Mahony (Co-Investigator)Melanie Jones (Co-Investigator)Nigel Driffield (Co-Investigator)Philip McCann (Co-Investigator)Rebecca Riley (Co-Investigator)Richard Allmendinger (Co-Investigator)Richard Jones (Co-Investigator)Simone Schnall (Co-Investigator)Stephen Roper (Co-Investigator)Tim Vorley (Co-Investigator)Vasco Carvalho (Co-Investigator)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Productivity Insights Network
From productivity to prosperity: Inclusive growth for the West Midlands
Queen's University Belfast NISRA BDR Programme
Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID)
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Cluster

Original classification

Research Grant

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.