Schedule

Welcome: Munira Mirza, Chief Executive, Civic Future

Progress: Have we run out of road or can we build new highways?

Over the past three centuries, humankind has experienced remarkable progress – notably in science and technology – resulting in billions being lifted out of poverty. However, today, the long march of scientific evolution seems to have paused, while productivity, wages and standards of living are either static or in decline in many advanced economies. Even before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the UK economy was stagnating. This is despite attempts by successive governments to boost growth and turn the tide.

Have we used up the major benefits of the last few centuries’ scientific research and development? Is there a cap on economic growth that we’re now bumping up against? Are we experiencing Western ennui? Or should we be optimistic about emerging technologies and the ability of governments and markets to shape the future?

Keynote

Professor Tyler Cowen, Professor of
Economics, George Mason University; author

Respondents

Professor David Edgerton, Hans Rausing Professor of the History of Science and Technology and Professor of Modern British History, King’s College London

Sam Bowman, Founder and Editor of Works in Progress at Stripe

Chair

Professor Diane Coyle CBE, author; Bennett Professor of Public Policy and co-director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge

Opening remarks: Nico Macdonald, co-convenor

Rekindling Britain’s economic flame: lessons from the past, strategies for the future

Britain’s economic journey is a tale of repeated transformation. From its sloughing off feudalism with the Reformation, Civil War and Glorious Revolution, to the 18th-century fomenting of the Industrial Revolution, Britain emerged as the world’s first capitalist and industrial nation. However, today many fear that Britain is in a period of slow decline.

How should we understand the circumstances and developments which initially brought about Britain’s growth? Which advantages does Britain retain, and what can be built on to reinvigorate the economy?

Watch the film and see other resources

Speakers:

Lord Sainsbury of Turville, author;
former member of the House of
Lords; Chancellor of the University
of Cambridge; former Minister of
Science and Innovation

Andy Haldane, Chief Executive
of the Royal Society of Arts

Anton Howes, Head of Innovation
Research, The Entrepreneurs Network;
author

Professor Deirdre N. McCloskey,
author; Distinguished Professor
Emerita of Economics and of History,
University of Illinois at Chicago

Chair:

Professor Tim Besley, Professor of
Development Economics, London School
of Economics and Political Science

Video:

13:30–15:30

Unconference

15:30–17:00

Charting paths to prosperity: how to be good stewards of progress

Different nations, different paths to progress. The UK and USA see themselves as the champions of free markets, whilst France and South Korea, for example, have often been associated with state-driven economic engineering.

What tangible, effective examples can we draw of good stewardship of progress? How might we frame funding structures and models of oversight to encourage entrepreneurial risk-taking? How can we combat institutional inertia and navigate entrenched vested interests? What should leaders in public life be doing differently?

Speakers

James Phillips, former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister and to the Secretary of State for Science and Technology

Ben Reinhardt, CEO, Speculative Technologies

Stian Westlake, Executive Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council; author

Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner, Public First

Chair:

Munira Mirza, Chief Executive, Civic Future

Video:

17:15–18:15

Unlocking the Potential: Harnessing Technologies for a Prosperous Future

In the grip of the digital revolution, artificial intelligence, embodied by tools like ChatGPT, has surged into the public discourse, sparking vigorous debates.

How should we think about and approach the possibilities and risks of artificial intelligence proliferation? How can we best build on these innovations to enhance the UK’s research, industrial, economic and employment base? How do we ensure this improves the quality of life for citizens in the UK and beyond?

Speakers

Matt Clifford, chair of ARIA; co-founder, Entrepreneur First

Logan Graham, Technical Staff, Anthropic; former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister

Saffron Huang, Co-Director, Collective Intelligence Project

Marc Warner, CEO, Faculty AI

Chair:

John Thornhill, Innovation Editor, Financial Times

Video: