Getting back to Growth through Technological and Managerial Innovation

The objective of the proposal is to examine ways to increase European growth through technological and managerial innovation. The technological innovation aspect is focused on examining the lifecycle of innovators and entrepreneurs across several advanced countries. We will examine the impact of financial constraints, tax and schooling policies on stimulating greater innovation. The second theme will examine by how much managerial practices can account for differences in the wealth of nations and how management quality can be improved, focusing on randomized control trials of business support polices. In addition to conducting our own surveys and drawing on administrative data, we will use Big Data techniques to measure management and corporate culture within firms. As a package this will constitute a ground-breaking piece of social science that will change the way we think about what drives prosperity across firms and countries. We are confident that this will lay foundations for better policies in Europe and elsewhere to help improve growth.