Climate change, firms, and aggregate productivity
Policy debates around climate change frequently focus on the trade-off between the near-term costs of reducing carbon emissions and the long-term benefits of mitigating climate
Regulation and growth: Lessons from nearly 50 years of product market reforms
Product market regulation reforms directly affect firm entry, innovation and reallocation, and thus productivity and economic growth. This column leverages the 2025 update of the
Why Childcare Matters for Women’s Jobs in the Agrifood Sector
“When I tried to find work in the handmade hammock industry, a traditional craft in my area, I only lasted two months because I had
How accurately can we estimate the hidden costs of what we eat?
The world is seriously off track to meet global nutrition targets. In fact, in some countries, statistics are moving in the wrong direction. Stunting remains
Productivity in the export sector: Evidence from Dutch supplier networks
It is well established that exporters tend to be some of the most productive firms. But in today’s world, exporters typically rely strongly on other
Export strength does not equal tech strength: Rethinking EU comparative advantage
Amid geopolitical shocks, the EU is revisiting its industrial strategy. However, traditional metrics often paint a misleading picture of Europe’s underlying strength. This column uses
Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?
In 2000, the World Bank published, “Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?” This landmark report proposed four crucial areas of progress, and the priorities that were
Generative AI in universities: Grades up, signals down, skills in flux
Student use of artificial intelligence is reshaping learning and redefining the skills of future workers. This column examines the impact of generative AI tools on
How the war has affected scientific research in Ukraine
Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine has devastated Ukraine’s scientific productivity. This column examines the war’s impact on Ukrainian research output, drawing on a dataset of
Artificial intelligence in finance
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the financial sector. This column introduces the seventh report in The Future of Banking series, which examines the fundamental transformations
