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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T133000
DTSTAMP:20260422T203847Z
CREATED:20260413T184019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T203847Z
UID:17696-1777379400-1777383000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The Startup State: What Drives Economies That Innovate
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nWhat does entrepreneurship really mean\, and why does it matter? America has a unique entrepreneurial edge. Its innovation engine\, shaped by culture\, markets\, and policy has powered some of the world’s most transformative Ideas.  What makes it different\, and why does it continue to matter today? Join us for a conversation with Howard Wolk (MC/MPA 2002)\, a longtime entrepreneur who has experienced America’s startup ecosystem firsthand. We will dive into Wolk’s book\, “Launchpad Republic: America’s Entrepreneurial Edge and Why It Matters”\, the “secret sauce” of entrepreneurship\, and an examination of the past\, present\, and future of American innovation.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll explore big questions at the heart of innovation: \n\n\n\n\nDoes government fuel entrepreneurship\, or get in its way?\n\n\n\nWhat insights did Joseph Schumpeter offer on creative destruction\, and why are they still relevant?\n\n\n\nWhat can other countries learn from the U.S. model of innovation?\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Howard Wolk Co-CEO of The Cross Country Group (CCG) \n\n\n\nModerator: Yariv Gabay\, Wolk fellow in the Center for Public Leadership and an MC/MPA 2026 candidate at HKS \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be provided. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nBio: Howard L. Wolk is Co-President of The Cross Country Group (CCG). Howard began his career at the New York City law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett\, and then joined the White House as Associate Counsel for the transition team during the Clinton Administration\, also serving as a member of Vice President Gore’s Task Force on Reinventing Government. He received B.A. and B.S.Ec. (Wharton School) degrees from the University of Pennsylvania\, a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School\, and an M.P.A. degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government\, where he served as a Senior Fellow. Howard is an active member of non-profit and social entrepreneurship organizations\, including the Boston Bridges Initiative. Most recently\, Howard is also the co-author of Launchpad Republic: America’s Entrepreneurial Edge and Why It Matters (Aug. 2022\, Wiley) \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. This Development Talk is co-sponsored by the Center for Public Leadership at HKS.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-startup-state-what-drives-economies-that-innovate/
LOCATION:Allison Dining Room – Taubman 5th Floor
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/HowardWolk.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260430T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260430T113000
DTSTAMP:20260424T145138Z
CREATED:20260424T144612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T145138Z
UID:17784-1777543200-1777548600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Who Captures Knowledge Spillovers? Academic Mobility and the Geography of Scientific Inequality
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nIn this Academic Research Seminar\, Frank van der Wouden will present his paper\, co-authored by Zixuan Zhang\, “Who Captures Knowledge Spillovers? Academic Mobility and the Geography of Scientific Inequality.” \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Frank van der Wouden\, Assistant Professor of Economic Geography and Innovation Studies \n\n\n\nAuthors: Frank van der Wouden and Zixuan Zhang \n\n\n\nPaper Abstract: Does physical proximity still shape the flow of scientific ideas? And if it does\, who captures the spillovers? Using a matched panel of 52\,878 scholars tracked through OpenAlex from 1975 to 2024\, we estimate a heterogeneity-robust staggered difference-in-differences model with Coarsening Exact Matching on pre-move productivity and networks. When a scholar relocates\, the destination city’s share of their new-audience citations rises by 6.6 percentage points (SE = 0.002; p < 10⁻¹⁶). The probability that any previously unconnected local researcher cites them jumps by 24 percentage points. The effect is immediate\, persistent and survives a large number of robustness checks. Three findings stand out. First\, co-location redirects rather than creates scholarly attention. Total new-audience citations do not rise\, while non-destination citations fall. Second\, the citation boost also happens to papers the scholar had already written before moving (+0.24 pp; p < 10⁻⁵). This suggests that pure talent sorting is not driving this effect\, since what is on the page cannot change with the scholar’s address. Third\, the effect is markedly larger where the destination hosts more scholars in the mover’s own subfield and in elite academic hubs (ATT = 0.088 in Top-40 cities vs. 0.047 elsewhere). These findings have implications for academic recruitment and science policy. Hiring functions as a mechanism through which local communities gain access to a scholar’s existing knowledge. The returns do not depend on recruiting only the most elite. Yet\, because top academic hubs both capture larger spillovers per hire and absorb most mobile scholars\, the current pattern of academic hiring may deepen the gap between leading and peripheral cities. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Professor Frank van der Wouden is an Assistant Professor of Economic Geography and Innovation Studies at The University of Hong Kong. His work uses large-scale patent\, publication and mobility data to uncover how innovation travels across cities\, teams and individuals. He holds a PhD from UCLA and did a post-doctoral training at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.” \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/who-captures-knowledge-spillovers-academic-mobility-and-the-geography-of-scientific-inequality/
LOCATION:W-G02
CATEGORIES:Academic Research Seminars,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Frank_Portrait.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260520T130000
DTSTAMP:20260515T134944Z
CREATED:20260514T134430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T134944Z
UID:17816-1779278400-1779282000@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Development in Practice: The Case of the Cambodia Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nAn introduction to Australia’s flagship economic development programme in Cambodia\, CAPRED (Cambodia Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development). The session will focus on CAPRED’s Policy Hub; an advisory team that works with government to support policy implementation. \n\n\n\nThe Policy Hub operates on a demand-driven basis; taking on specific\, time-sensitive problems as they arise and working through them in a practical way. Its approach centres on identifying the binding constraints across the policy cycle; from problem diagnosis and option development through to implementation and monitoring.  \n\n\n\nPlease register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be provided. \n\n\n\nBendith Ly is an Economic Policy Advisor at the Cambodia Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development (CAPRED). He holds a Master’s in urban development from the Technical University of Berlin and brings a broad international perspective to his work\, with experience across Cambodia\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, and Egypt. His work focuses on economic policy and applied development economics\, with particular emphasis on industrial development and competitiveness\, as well as the trade\, investment\, and enterprise agenda. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/development-in-practice-the-case-of-the-cambodia-australia-partnership-for-resilient-economic-development/
LOCATION:Democracy Lab AB (R414 AB) – Rubenstein 4th Floor
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bendith-LY_WBⓒManuth_BUTH_3-copy-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260710T032000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260710T035000
DTSTAMP:20260710T134917Z
CREATED:20260706T142706Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260710T134917Z
UID:18500-1783653600-1783655400@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Innovation Capabilities Outlook 2026: From Global Data to National Action
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nAs part of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Innovation Capabilities Outlook 2026 event\, Growth Lab Academic Research Director Muhammed Yildirim will participate in the panel discussion\, “How to leverage big data to support strategic decisions.” \n\n\n\nHosted in Geneva\, Switzerland (9:20 AM CEST)\, the panel is open to anyone wishing to join online.  \n\n\n\nModerator:  \n\n\n\n\nGuilherme de Aguiar Patriota\, Ambassador\, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the World Trade Organization in Geneva \n\n\n\n\nPanelists:  \n\n\n\n\nJulie Carlson\, Director of Economic Strategy\, Qualcomm\, US \n\n\n\nMuhammed Yilidirm\, Academic Research Director\, Growth Lab\, Harvard University\n\n\n\nCarsten Fink\, Chief Economist\, Department for Economics and Data Analytics\, IES\, WIPO\, Geneva\n\n\n\n\nAt the event\, WIPO will launch The Innovation Capabilities Navigator (ICO)\, a new interactive dashboard.  \n\n\n\nBuilt on the ICO 2026 dataset\, developed with Harvard’s Growth Lab\, the Navigator covers 193 economies and maps over 2\,500 innovation capabilities across science\, technology\, entrepreneurship\, and production. \n\n\n\nSelect any economy and instantly access: \n\n\n\n\nIts current innovation strengths and complexity profile\n\n\n\nHow it compares regionally and globally\n\n\n\nIts highest-potential pathways for growth and diversification\n\n\n\n\nWhether you are a national planner\, a policymaker\, or a researcher\, the Navigator turns complex global data into clear\, actionable insights. \n\n\n\nThe Innovation Capabilities Navigator will be made available to the public on July 10 and will be located here: wipo.int/innovation-capabilities \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/innovation-capabilities-outlook-2026-from-global-data-to-national-action/
CATEGORIES:Hybrid
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260916T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260916T180000
DTSTAMP:20260912T185405Z
CREATED:20260901T195133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260912T185405Z
UID:18926-1789576200-1789581600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Get to Know the Growth Lab: Research and Student Engagement Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nLearn more about the Growth Lab’s mission\, ‘teaching hospital’ philosophy\, our academic research and policy engagements\, and student opportunities. You’ll hear directly from the Growth Lab’s senior leadership\, research fellows\, and staff. \n\n\n\nFollowing the presentation\, we’ll move into Allison Dining Room for refreshments. RSVP is required. \n\n\n\nRoom attendance is limited to the Harvard community. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/get-to-know-the-growth-lab-research-and-student-engagement-showcase-4/
LOCATION:NYE ABC\, ADR\, Taubman
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/updated_gl_team_sept_2023_img_8717_cropped_for_web.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T104500
DTSTAMP:20260916T113922Z
CREATED:20260915T155815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T113922Z
UID:19026-1790069400-1790073900@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Tradability and Goods' Prices: A Tale of Two Regions
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nIn this Academic Research seminar\, Joseba Martinez\, Assistant Professor of Economics at London Business School and a CEPR Research Affiliate\, will discuss his paper “Tradability and Goods’ Prices: A Tale of Two Regions.” \n\n\n\nPaper Abstract \n\n\n\nWe provide new evidence on manufacturing price inflation and the allocation of productivity gains by comparing US and EU industries from 1992 to 2017. Two patterns emerge. In tradable industries\, where global competition is strong\, prices have moved in lockstep across the Atlantic. In non-tradable industries\, relatively sheltered from foreign competition\, value-added deflators in the US have risen about four times faster than in Europe despite similar wages and industry compositions. The inflation differential is unrelated to compositional shifts\, and evident in narrowly defined product categories where unobserved quality differences are unlikely to matter. A decomposition attributes one-third of the differential to rising market power and two-thirds to slower productivity growth in US non-tradable manufacturing industries\, a pattern absent in tradable ones. Using variation in import penetration\, we find that greater trade exposure lowers prices and profit shares\, while competition policy remains crucial in non-tradable industries. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio \n\n\n\nJoseba Martinez is an Assistant Professor of Economics at London Business School and a CEPR Research Affiliate. His research studies how technology shapes productivity\, growth\, and the response of the economy to policy\, and how information asymmetry in financial markets affects investment and growth. Recent work examines the cost of the green energy transition when fossil-fuel-dependent capital cannot be easily repurposed\, the financial-market valuation of firms exposed to that transition\, the role of government-funded innovation in sustaining postwar U.S. growth\, the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy\, and the labour-market consequences of automation and AI. He has also developed natural-language methods on patent data to measure technical change and link it to aggregate productivity. His published research\, in Review of Economic Studies\, Journal of International Economics\, AEJ: Macroeconomics\, examines the design of bank stress tests\, capital-market integration in monetary unions\, and the role of technology diffusion and R&D in shaping business cycle dynamics. He teaches Macroeconomics to MBA and EMBA students and PhD Macroeconomics to doctoral candidates at London Business School. Beyond his academic role\, he has consulted for a New York-based investment fund and served as a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund. Dr Martinez brings substantial professional experience to his academic work. Before beginning his PhD\, he worked as a trader at ABN AMRO London and held the position of senior manager at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development\, where he developed expertise in financial markets that informs his current research and teaching. \n\n\n\nThe speaker will be virtual\, but you may join us in-person for a viewing in the Perkins Room (R-429). Whether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/tradability-and-goods-prices-a-tale-of-two-regions/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Academic Research Seminars,Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/images.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T130000
DTSTAMP:20260918T201533Z
CREATED:20260918T130647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260918T201533Z
UID:19077-1790251200-1790254800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Revitalizing City Centers: the Case of Rio de Janeiro
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRio de Janeiro’s historic center tells a story familiar to many cities across Latin America and the developing world: decades of outward expansion have hollowed out urban cores\, leaving behind degraded buildings\, strained public services\, and neighborhoods that once defined the city’s civic life. Washington Fajardo has spent over a decade designing urban revitalization policies to address this decay. As the Director of the IDB Cities’ Lab he works on cutting-edge solutions to address urban challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously as the Mayor’s Special Advisor for Urban Issues and President of the Rio World Heritage Institute (2009–2016)\, he designed policies and financing mechanisms to preserve heritage\, regenerate buildings\, and improve public services in the city center. He joins the Growth Lab to discuss what it takes to bring city centers back to life: which policy tools actually work to regenerate buildings and public spaces\, how to finance preservation at scale\, and what Rio’s experience offers other cities grappling with urban decay at their core. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Washington Fajardo\, Director of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Cities Lab \n\n\n\nModerator: Andres Fortunato\, Growth Lab Research Manager \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Washington Fajardo is an architect and urbanist. He coordinates Cities LAB at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)\, in the Housing and Urban Development Division\, where he works on institutional innovation\, urban regeneration\, and digital transformation and AI adoption in Latin American and Caribbean cities. From 2009 to 2016\, throughout Rio de Janeiro’s preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games\, he served as the Mayor’s special advisor for urban issues and head of historic preservation\, working on Porto Maravilha\, the UNESCO World Heritage designation of Rio’s Carioca Landscapes\, and the protection of Cais do Valongo. He returned to City Hall as Chief of Urban Planning and President of the Instituto Pereira Passos (2021–2022)\, where he created Reviver Centro\, the downtown housing and regeneration program. He curated the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale and was a Harvard Loeb Fellow (2019). \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/revitalizing-city-centers-the-case-of-rio-de-janeiro/
LOCATION:Allison Dining Room – Taubman Building 5th floor
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-18-at-4.14.58-PM.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T104500
DTSTAMP:20260914T210513Z
CREATED:20260914T210044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T210513Z
UID:19021-1790674200-1790678700@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The Indian Innovation Puzzle
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share\n	\n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this Academic Research Seminar\, Josh Lerner will present his paper\, co-authored by Namrata Kala and Junxi Liu “The Indian Innovation Puzzle.” \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Josh Lerner\, Jacob H. Schiff Professor at Harvard Business School and Co-Director of the HBS Private Capital Project.  \n\n\n\nCo-Authors: Namrata Kala (MIT Sloan School of Management) and Junxi Liu (University of Warwick) \n\n\n\nPaper Abstract: Despite recent increases in some measures of innovation\, India continues to have very modest levels of domestic patenting\, contradicting standard views of the importance of property rights in economic development. Using a novel\, newly constructed dataset of Indian patent grants\, we explore why Indian patenting has been so low. We examine whether an absence of non-patented innovation\, differences in industry composition and public attitudes\, and a lack of public market reactions to patent awards can explain these differences\, and find only modest support for these explanations. We then show evidence of an institutional quality mechanism\, i.e.\, long delays in patent examination. We estimate the causal effects of reduced delays using a natural experiment. Specifically\, we show that a 2016 reform by IP India (the patent office) increased examination speeds for technology-office pairs that gained access to more same-field examiner capacity. In response\, the mixture of applicants shifted away from applicants with very low success rates and towards high-quality filers. This improved institutional capacity also enhanced other innovation outcomes\, boosting the financing of venture capital-backed firms. But the magnitude of these effects was modest\, closing just over one-tenth the patenting gap between India and other leading nations. This modest effect may reflect the implementation of the reform (a back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that high-quality patenting could have been increased by an additional 9 to 31 percent)\, as well as the uncertainty surrounding patent litigation. These results underscore the importance of institutional quality in facilitating innovation. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Josh Lerner is the Jacob H. Schiff Professor at Harvard Business School and Co-Director of the HBS Private Capital Project. Much of his research focuses on venture capital and private equity organizations and innovation policy. He has been recently recognized as among the forty most influential economists worldwide by ScholarGPS and research.com. \n\n\n\nHe has co-directed the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Productivity\, Innovation\, and Entrepreneurship Program since 2010 and serves as co-editor of their publication\, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy and the Economy. He founded and runs the Private Capital Research Institute\, a nonprofit devoted to encouraging access to data and research and has been a frequent leader of and participant in the World Economic Forum projects and events. \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/19021/
LOCATION:Perkins Room – R-429 Rubenstein 4th floor
CATEGORIES:Academic Research Seminars,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/josh_lerner_360.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T170000
DTSTAMP:20260930T184342Z
CREATED:20260925T173113Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T184342Z
UID:19116-1790697600-1790701200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Why Europe’s AI Talent Strategy Needs a Local Layer
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this Academic Research Seminar\, Casey Weston will present his paper “The Talent Will Not Be Centralized: Why Europe’s AI Talent Strategy Needs a Local Layer.” \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Casey Weston\, Senior Manager\, Public Policy and Economic Graph at LinkedIn \n\n\n\nPaper Abstract: Europe’s AI competitiveness debate is conducted largely at the national and EU level\, yet the AI engineering talent it depends upon develops and moves locally. Using LinkedIn data on AI Engineering Talent concentration\, growth\, and migration across 202 European market areas\, this note assesses where and how local AI talent ecosystems form across the EU\, and the extent to which that clustering may align with national AI talent strategies. At the local level\, we observe three methods through which cities accumulate AI talent: cultivating it through research infrastructure (e.g. Braga)\, attracting it through favorable national migration policy and dense employment opportunities (e.g. Munich\, Barcelona)\, and/or retaining it against wage and tax competition from higher-cost neighbors (e.g. Brno\, Wrocław). We find that the resulting AI ecosystems may or may not align with national strategic intentions: Poland’s domestic capacity-building strategy successfully generated broad-based local momentum\, but France’s research strength has not translated into comparable local growth\, and Czechia’s struggles to convert local demand into compounding hubs for its robust talent pipeline. We conclude that while EU and national AI infrastructure investments may be necessary for AI sovereignty\, they are insufficient to realize the desired economic returns from the AI transition; converting these investments into durable economic benefit requires deliberately paired localized talent strategies. \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/why-europes-ai-talent-strategy-needs-a-local-layer/
LOCATION:HYBRID WEXNER W-102\, HKS / Zoom
CATEGORIES:Academic Research Seminars,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Casey-Weston-LinkedIn-EnergyNow-SDG7-24Sep2025-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261002T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261002T160000
DTSTAMP:20260930T184734Z
CREATED:20260922T203523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T184734Z
UID:19103-1790953200-1790956800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Introducing the Global AI Adoption Index: Measuring How AI Is Diffusing Across the World
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nAI is spreading rapidly across economies\, yet we still know surprisingly little about where\, how\, and by whom it is actually being adopted. Holly Krambeck\, Program Manager for the World Bank Data Lab and founder of the Development Data Partnership\, will present the Global AI Adoption Index\, a new joint initiative bringing together the World Bank\, IMF\, OECD and leading AI companies including Anthropic\, Google\, Microsoft\, OpenAI\, and OpenRouter. \n\n\n\nThe initiative aims to develop harmonized\, privacy-protected measures of consumer and API adoption across countries\, complemented by indicators on infrastructure\, labor markets\, connectivity\, and language. The talk will discuss the unique challenge of turning proprietary data held across competing AI companies into a comparable public good\, and how better measurement of AI diffusion can help governments understand emerging divides\, target investments\, and design more effective policies. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Holly Krambeck\, Program Manager of the World Bank Data Lab and founder of the Development Data Partnership \n\n\n\nModerator: Pierre-Alexandre Balland\, Chief Data Scientist at CEPS\, Growth Lab Associate \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Holly Krambeck is Program Manager of the World Bank Data Lab and founder of the Development Data Partnership\, a global collaboration uniting 12 international organizations and over 30 technology partners to use private-sector data and AI for international development. The Partnership creates scalable technical\, legal\, and governance frameworks that support secure public-private data sharing and public sector analytics capacity building worldwide. Previously\, Krambeck led World Bank transport infrastructure investments across East and Southeast Asia\, helping government agencies modernize data collection\, analytics\, and infrastructure management. She holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Science in Transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/introducing-the-global-ai-adoption-index-measuring-how-ai-is-diffusing-across-the-world/
LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse\, HKS
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/krambeck43.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T104500
DTSTAMP:20261008T084631Z
CREATED:20261006T190647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T084631Z
UID:19189-1791883800-1791888300@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:From Disaster to Discovery: The Regional Scientific Response to Katrina Hurricane Season
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nIn this Academic Research Seminar\, Salvatore Viola will present his paper “From Disaster to Discovery: The Regional Scientific Response to Katrina Hurricane Season.” The paper is co-authored by Ernest Miguelez and Rosina Moreno. \n\n\n\nPaper Abstract: This paper investigates how natural disasters shape the direction of science. Treating the 2005 U.S. hurricane season\, and Hurricane Katrina in particular\, as an exogenous shock\, we estimate its effects on regional scientific output and on specialization in hurricane- and climate change-related research. We assign OpenAlex publication data to U.S. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) and identify affected regions using housing damage reports. Difference-in-differences estimates show that affected regions were 14.9 percentage points more likely to specialize in hurricane-related research. This effect persisted for around six years post-disaster and occurred despite muted effects in climate change-related science and an overall decline in scientific output. Exploratory analyses suggest the effect was stronger in regions with higher pre-disaster relatedness density\, and that collaborations between affected and unaffected regions helped support scientific activity in affected areas. Our findings offer new evidence on the directional response of science to climate-related natural disasters. They also suggest that building research capacity around specific regional vulnerabilities\, supported by sustained funding\, may strengthen regional scientific resilience. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Salvatore Viola\, PhD student in Economics at the University of Barcelona \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Salvatore Viola is a PhD student in Economics at the University of Barcelona\, where he is affiliated with the Regional Quantitative Analysis Group (AQR-IREA). He works under the supervision of Rosina Moreno and Ernest Miguélez. His research interests include the geography of innovation\, the economics of science\, and high-skilled migration. His current work examines how migrant inventors spur regional diversification into green technologies and how natural disasters influence the direction of scientific research. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MSc in Economics from the University of Barcelona. \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/from-disaster-to-discovery-the-regional-scientific-response-to-katrina-hurricane-season/
LOCATION:Perkins Room – R-429 Rubenstein 4th floor
CATEGORIES:Academic Research Seminars,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T130000
DTSTAMP:20261008T084718Z
CREATED:20261005T172634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T084718Z
UID:19174-1791979200-1791982800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Can Small Nations Compete and Win in the Age of AI? The Case of Wales
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nThe AI revolution is reshaping the terms of economic competition — and for small nations without Big Tech headquarters or deep capital markets\, the question is whether size can be an advantage rather than a constraint. Wales is a sharp test case. It industrialized early\, de-industrialized hard\, and has important productivity challenges to overcome. Now Adam Price MS\, Wales’s Cabinet Minister for Enterprise\, Connectivity and Energy\, is betting on AI adoption\, clean energy\, and a rebuilt skills system to close the gap — all from a sub-national government with limited fiscal levers. Price joins the Growth Lab to discuss what Wales’s strategy reveals about the prospects for small nations in a world being reshaped by AI. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Adam Price MS — Welsh Cabinet Minister for Enterprise\, Connectivity and Energy \n\n\n\nModerator: Ricardo Hausmann\, Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: \n\n\n\nAdam Price is a former Managing Director of Newidiem\, a UK policy and economics consultancy\, and former Executive Director of the Welsh economic development and cultural change agency\, Menter a Busnes. Before being elected to the National Assembly\, Price worked as a Senior Program Manager for a UK Innovation Foundation Nesta. \n\n\n\nPrice was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Harvard University where he studied a Masters in Public Administration. He went on to become a Fellow at the Centre for International Development at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2014 he won the Bronze Medal at the New York Film and Television Festival for his documentary on the 1984/1985 Miners Strike. In 2015 his 4-part series was recognized with 2 BAFTA Cymru Awards. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/can-small-nations-compete-and-win-in-the-age-of-ai-the-case-of-wales/
LOCATION:Democracy Lab (R414 AB)\, Rubenstein Building 4th floor\, HKS
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T130000
DTSTAMP:20261008T190425Z
CREATED:20260918T202640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T190425Z
UID:19096-1792065600-1792069200@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Growth and Structural Transformation in Morocco
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nOver twenty-five years Morocco built an automotive and aeronautics export base largely from scratch\, expanded renewables\, and positioned itself as a bridge between Europe and Africa — while still struggling with low female labor-force participation\, weak educational outcomes\, and a growth rate that has not delivered the convergence the country hoped for. \n\n\n\nKarim El Aynaoui\, former Director of Economics at Bank Al-Maghrib and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Moroccan Economy\, joins the Growth Lab for a candid accounting: which industrial policies paid off\, which did not and why\, and what Morocco’s experience offers other middle-income economies attempting the same climb. \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Karim El Aynaoui\, Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South\, Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University \n\n\n\nModerator: Muhammed Yildirim\, Director of Academic Research\, Growth Lab  \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nThis event is co-sponsored by Harvard’s Center for African Studies (CAS). \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Karim El Aynaoui is Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South. He is also Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Dean of its Humanities\, Economics and Social Sciences Cluster.  \n\n\n\nFrom 2005 to 2012\, he worked at the Central Bank of Morocco (Bank Al-Maghrib) as Director of Economics\, Statistics\, and International Relations. He also created and headed the Research Department and served as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Previously\, he worked for eight years at the World Bank as an economist for its regional units of the Middle East and North Africa and Africa.  \n\n\n\nKarim El Aynaoui has published books and journal articles on macroeconomic issues in developing countries. He has co-authored works on growth and the labor market in Morocco and has recently co-edited a book entitled The Oxford Handbook of the Moroccan Economy.  \n\n\n\nKarim El Aynaoui holds scientific and advisory positions in several institutions. He is currently a member of Malabo Montpellier Panel\, the Scientific Committee of The Italian Institute for International Political Studies\, the Advisory Committee of The World Bank’s Institute for Economic Development\, the Scientific Council of The Moroccan Capital Market Authority\, the International Board of Med-Or Italian Foundation\, and a global member of The Trilateral Commission. He also serves as advisor to the CEO and Chairman of OCP Group and is a board member of OCP Foundation.  \n\n\n\nKarim El Aynaoui holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bordeaux where he taught courses in Statistics and Economics for three years. He is Commendatore of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.  \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/19096/
LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/3.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T173000
DTSTAMP:20261015T144451Z
CREATED:20261007T212022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015T144451Z
UID:19200-1793032200-1793035800@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Wyoming’s Childcare Shortage: Business Solutions for a Business Problem
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nAcross the United States\, childcare shortages are quietly constraining economic growth — keeping workers\, disproportionately women\, out of the labor force. Wyoming offers an unusual case of a state tackling the problem not as social policy but as economic infrastructure. Since 2023\, the Wyoming Business Council has led an interagency effort that treats childcare the way states treat roads or broadband: as a precondition for workforce participation. The results so far include startup grants for new providers in underserved areas\, regulatory reform to unlock home-based operations\, and a data system that maps supply gaps at the community level — all in a state where provider supply had collapsed by more than 25% in a decade. \n\n\n\nKristin Fong\, Feliciana Turner\, Roxanne O’Connor\, and Devan Costa-Cargill join the Growth Lab to discuss what it takes to build childcare as economic infrastructure\, what the business case looks like when you reframe the problem\, and what other states and countries grappling with labor force participation gaps can learn from Wyoming’s approach. \n\n\n\nPlease register in advance. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeakers: Kristin Fong\, Northwest Regional Director\, Wyoming Business Council \n\n\n\nFeliciana Turner\, Manager\, Wyoming Maternal and Child Health Unit\, Wyoming Department of Health \n\n\n\nRoxanne O’Connor\, Administrator\, Wyoming Department of Family Services Support Services Division \n\n\n\nDevan Costa-Cargill\, Regional Director\, Wyoming Small Business Development Network \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/19200/
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/7.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T130000
DTSTAMP:20261008T190515Z
CREATED:20261005T232812Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T190515Z
UID:19182-1794312000-1794315600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Thirty Years of Urbanization in Mexico\, 1990–2020: Urban Expansion\, Central Decline\, and the Remaking of Urban Form
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nOver the past three decades\, Mexico’s urban population has nearly doubled\, yet its city centers are emptying out. Since 1990\, 2.5 million residents have left the central zones of 69 metropolitan areas as growth spread outward in a fragmented\, low-density pattern. Central areas that once held over 40% of the urban population now hold just 22%. Over the same period\, commuting distances have grown by nearly 30% and emissions have risen. These changing patterns of growth create public policy challenges\, mounting pressure on housing\, transportation\, and public services. \n\n\n\nRoberto Ponce-López\, Research Director at the Center for the Future of Cities at Tecnológico de Monterrey\, will present findings from his new Nature Communications paper\, on the dynamics of urban sprawl in Mexico\, and discuss policy pathways toward more inclusive cities. The conversation will be moderated by Diane Davis\, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.   \n\n\n\nSpeaker: Roberto Ponce López\, Research Director at the Center for the Future of Cities\, Director of the M.Sc. in Data Science and Public Policy at the School of Government and Public Transformation\, and Professor of Urban Science at Tecnológico de Monterrey \n\n\n\nModerator: Diane Davis\, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism and former Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD)\, Director of the Mexican Cities Initiative  \n\n\n\nWhether attending in person or virtually\, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Lunch will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio: Roberto Ponce López is Research Director at the Center for the Future of Cities\, Director of the M.Sc. in Data Science and Public Policy at the School of Government and Public Transformation\, and Professor of Urban Science at Tecnológico de Monterrey\, where he has been a faculty member since 2018. His research focuses on urban science\, land use and transportation planning\, agent-based simulation\, geospatial analytics\, scenario planning\, and data-driven approaches to urban policy and decision-making. \n\n\n\nBefore joining Tecnológico de Monterrey\, Roberto worked in the Office of the President of Mexico\, where he led public opinion and policy analysis projects. His work bridges academic research with practical applications\, collaborating with governments and international organizations to develop innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient cities. \n\n\n\nRoberto holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. \n\n\n\nThe Growth Lab’s “Development Talks” is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries\, regions\, states\, and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/thirty-years-of-urbanization-in-mexico-1990-2020-urban-expansion-central-decline-and-the-remaking-of-urban-form/
LOCATION:Malkin Penthouse\, HKS
CATEGORIES:Development Talks,Hybrid
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Speaker_Photos_Duo.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T200000
DTSTAMP:20261001T181155Z
CREATED:20261001T160709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T181155Z
UID:19142-1794510000-1794513600@growthlab.hks.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The Walrus Talks at Home: Canada After America
DESCRIPTION:Development Talks Hybrid\n\n\nThis event draws on Canada After America: A Strategy for Prosperity in a Changed World and research from Harvard’s Growth Lab\, arguing that Canada’s answer is not to retreat from globalization\, but to become far better at unlocking its potential for innovation and competing in the rest of the world. Using data on supply chains\, venture capital\, housing markets\, and more\, Ricardo Hausmann and Eric Protzer identify concrete opportunities for Canada’s economic growth and how to activate them. \n\n\n\nFeaturing: \n\n\n\n\nRicardo Hausmann\, Director\, Harvard’s Growth Lab; Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy\, Harvard Kennedy School\n\n\n\nEric Protzer\, Senior Research Associate\, Harvard’s Growth Lab\n\n\n\n\nHosted and moderated by \n\n\n\n\nCarmine Starnino\, Editor-in-Chief\, The Walrus\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  Share\n	\n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n  \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nThe Walrus is an independent\, nonprofit Canadian media organization. This event is sponsored by the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.
URL:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/event/the-walrus-talks-at-home-canada-after-america/
CATEGORIES:Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/mcgill_max_bell_lectures_2026_ricardo_hausmann_eric_protzer-copy.png
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