Doing things differently here? After decades of hype, Greater Manchester is starting to look like something rare; an actual UK economic sucess story. I had a look into the latest economic data for @manchestermill.bsky.social to find out more (1/4)

A very important report from Pivotal - currently there is a lot of talk about the external factors that affect Northern Ireland, but this report is a reminder that there are factors within the control of government here that could lead to better outcomes for NI's economy & people

Very pleased to share our research on Northern Ireland’s productivity challenge at yesterday’s Institute of Directors NI lunch at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social. You can find out more about our @productivity.bsky.social research here: www.productivity.ac.uk/regions-nati... #Productivity #QBSresearch

Argument I make in the paper is that NI failed to converge with the worst performing regions of GB 1920-1972 (it would do this in early 2000s, but I don't go into this) & devolved financial settlement was a barrier to this convergence (other stuff mattered too eg. declining staple industries)

I would counter the idea that geographic peripherality was main reason for NI underpeforming. Access to ports & GB market, & growth of large export industries during 19th century run counter to that, plus study of extra transport costs in 1980s showed these were very minor relative to GB regions

Great paper here from @djordanecon.bsky.social asking a really smart question in modern British political debate - if Northern Ireland had always had so much more devolution than the rest of the UK, why is it so poor? A: Because it never really had fiscal devolution ehs.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Very pleased to contribute to today’s Powering Productivity Conference organised by @investni.bsky.social, discussing the reasons for Northern Ireland’s low productivity and sharing findings from our NI Productivity Forum research for @productivity.bsky.social

Spotlight on Northern Ireland | #NationalProductivityWeek 2025
The NI Productivity Forum at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social released "NI Productivity 2040" in National Productivity Week, by Ruth Donaldson, @djordanecon.bsky.social & @profjohnturner.bsky.social: www.productivity.ac.uk/research/nor...

How can Northern Ireland close its productivity gap? My Queen’s Business School colleague, Ruth Donaldson, outlines what the NI Executive needs to do, based on our recent report for the NI Productivity Forum & The Productivity Institute @productivity.bsky.social

Economy Minister @caoimhearchibald.bsky.social
has held a meeting with the independent experts who help advise the Department on the implementation of the economic plan.

To read a progress report on the plan, please visit ➡️ www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications...

What's happening with Northern Ireland's productivity performance? @profjohnturner.bsky.social from @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social & Northern Ireland Productivity Forum provides his insights on this Productivity Puzzles ep., released during #NationalProductivityWeek: podfollow.com/1567204500/e...

Today we launched our new @productivity.bsky.social report 'NI Productivity 2040' at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social. Co-authored with Ruth Donaldson & @profjohnturner.bsky.social we provide a roadmap for how policy can close Northern Ireland's productivity gap: productivity.ac.uk/research/nor...

Today at the NI Productivity Forum we launch our new report as part of @productivity.bsky.social National Productivity Week. @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland has the 3rd highest productivity of the UK’s 12 regions, at £40 per hour worked. Northern Ireland (£36) and Wales (£34) are in 10th and last place respectively.

🔗Read Ruth Donaldson and @djordanecon on productivity performance in devolved nations https://buff.ly/4fOiLAK👈

Join us on Friday 31st January as we launch our new report, NI Productivity 2040, examining Northern Ireland’s productivity gap and what policy can do to close it

To register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-p... @productivity.bsky.social @profjohnturner.bsky.social #NationalProductivityWeek

We like to be different

🚜FARMAGEDDON🌾
The story of what's REALLY going on in farming. A story far more complex than the conventional wisdom.
This isn't just (or even mainly) about inheritance tax.
It's about a cascade of challenges & crises that could ultimately threaten food security.
5min primer👇
youtu.be/7CjZSfapKmA?...

Read the Northern Ireland Productivity Dashboard 2024, produced on behalf of the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum: productivity.ac.uk/research/nor...

Has Northern Ireland’s productivity bubble burst?

Today we’ve launched this year’s NI Productivity Dashboard, written with Ruth Donaldson & John Turner for
@productivity.bsky.social, showing NI’s productivity gap has widened.

Read & download: productivity.ac.uk/research/nor...
#QBSresearch

Today marks 25 years since powers were transferred to the
NI Assembly, the final of the three new devolved governments established in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland

Many of those powers relate to the economy, so how has productivity changed since 1999?⬇️

Very pleased to speak at the Northern Ireland Economic Conference this week, and provide an overview of NI’s performance across key drivers of productivity, based on research with Ruth Donaldson & @profjohnturner.bsky.social for the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum @productivity.bsky.social

How has productivity changed in the UK's devolved nations over the past 25 years?

In this @econ-observatory.bsky.social article, Ruth Donaldson & I look at productivity in Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales, & the explanations for their performance
www.economicsobservatory.com/devolution-a...

Very pleased this week to contribute to a joint Dept for the Economy seminar on management & leadership practices in NI, presenting with Ruth Donaldson on our management booklet for @productivity.bsky.social & hearing about the work of Karen Bonner & co-authors at Ulster Economic Policy Centre