Growth through innovation bursts: Why industrial policy should not bet on size

Industrial policy is back on the agenda across advanced economies, with a growing channelling support towards large incumbent firms on the premise that they are
The implications of climate change for monetary policy

Climate change and the transition to net zero are reshaping the macroeconomy, with important implications for monetary policymakers’ core price-stability objectives. As physical hazards become
Europe’s productivity is more dynamic than aggregate statistics suggest

Aggregate productivity growth in Europe has disappointed over the last two decades, fuelling concerns about competitiveness. This column argues that firm-level evidence points to a
Nine centuries of cultural change and the productivity of ideas

Economic historians have long placed culture at the centre of the rise of the West, but have lacked a measure of culture spanning the emergence
Japan’s productivity transformation: From within-firm stagnation to market-driven reallocation

Discussions on Japan’s ‘lost decades’ have long focused on sluggish demand and the survival of ‘zombie’ firms. However, new evidence from microdata suggests a fundamental
The scramble for critical minerals: An old curse in a new world

Lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements are reshaping global trade and great-power politics in ways reminiscent of the earlier scramble for natural resources.
Japan’s productivity transformation: From within-firm stagnation to market-driven reallocation

Discussions on Japan’s ‘lost decades’ have long focused on sluggish demand and the survival of ‘zombie’ firms. However, new evidence from microdata suggests a fundamental
Carbon risk in loan pricing: Commitment channels and real effects

Transition risks related to climate change are increasingly recognised in equity and bond markets. This column uses syndicated loan tranches issued to US firms to
International carbon trading: a strategic lever to boost global decarbonisation

International carbon credits can support the EU’s 2040 target if buyers’ club rules and leverage ensure real mitigation gains abroad. Article 6 of the Paris
Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important in response to labour market transformations

As digital, environmental, and demographic transformations reshape labour markets, skills influence who benefits from these changes and who falls behind. This column presents the findings

