# Event Details - **Event Name**: The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 - **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 09:30 am – Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 05:00 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: Productive futures: new questions for a changing economyAbout this EventBuilding on the success of last year's event, this year's conference brings together leading productivity researchers to take stock of the evidence base and explore frontier questions for the next wave of research. Thematic sessions cover trade and global value chains, investment, place, workforce skills, and innovation.Monday 14 September — TPI Academic Conference 2026Productive futures: new questions for a changing economyAlliance Manchester Business School, The University of ManchesterWhat to expect?Keynote: Francois LafondFrancois Lafond from the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the University of Oxford will provide the keynote address. François’ main areas of research cover the economics of innovation and productivity, environmental economics, complex systems, and forecasting.Session 1A: Trade, services and productivityHow is the UK repositioning itself within shifting global value chains? This session explores the implications of geoeconomic fragmentation and post-Brexit trade reorientation for UK exports of goods and services, and what these structural changes mean for firm-level productivity and competitiveness.Session 1B: PlaceRegional disparities remain one of the UK's most persistent economic challenges. This session examines the geography of productivity, asking what place-based industrial strategy can realistically achieve and what conditions are needed for local economies to thrive.Session 2A: Workforce skillsFrom AI adoption to an ageing workforce, the demand for skills is changing fast. This session examines what firms need, where the current system is falling short, and how policy can better support workers and employers through the transition.Session 2B: Innovation and growthInnovation is a means to an end - enhanced value creation through productivity improvement and growth. This session focuses on the links between innovation and firm performance, and how policy can better support the effective exploitation of new ideas.Session 3A: InvestmentCan domestic and foreign investment - guided by the Industrial Strategy and regional growth strategies - deliver the productivity gains the UK needs? This session examines the evidence and explores what more effective investment policy might look like.Session 3B: AI and the economyArtificial intelligence is moving from experimentation into deployment across the economy. This session examines the early evidence on AI adoption and its effects on productivity, work and firm performance, and asks what data and methods researchers need to track an economy being reshaped in real time.Closing panel: future directions for productivity researchWhat are the outstanding questions for UK productivity research, and what should the field prioritise next?Evening Dinner (from 18:00): you are invited to join for an evening dinner on Monday 14 September, please confirm via the Order Form whether you will be attending the dinner, as well as the conference on the same day.Agenda🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AMArrival and registration🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMConference Opening & Keynote from Francois Lafond🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:20 AMBreak🕑: 11:20 AM - 12:20 PMSession 1A: Trade, services and productivity | Session 1B: Place🕑: 12:20 PM - 01:20 PMLunch🕑: 01:20 PM - 02:20 PMSession 2A: Workforce skills | Session 2B: Innovation & Growth🕑: 02:20 PM - 02:40 PMBreak🕑: 02:40 PM - 03:40 PMSession 3A: Investment | Session 3B: AI and the economy🕑: 03:40 PM - 04:00 PMBreak🕑: 04:00 PM - 05:00 PMClosing panel: future directions for productivity research🕑: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PMConference Dinner - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/manchester/the-productivity-institute-academic-conference-14-september-2026/100001993448440949 - **Event Categories**: business, conferences, artificial-intelligence - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes - Location: Alliance Manchester Business School - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Manchester - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: Alliance Manchester Business School - **lat**: 53.4673817 - **long**: -2.2374284 - **full address**: Alliance Manchester Business School, Booth Street West, Manchester, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/a9c434d57e30e3a61d76daea011c6643bef8a217e39f5c39bdb593c70652282f-rimg-w1200-h600-dc051215-gmir.jpg?v=1784941342 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 being held? - **A:** The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 takes place on Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 09:30 am to Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 05:00 pm at Alliance Manchester Business School, Booth Street West, Manchester, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026? - **A:** The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 is organized by The Productivity Institute. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** The Productivity Institute Academic Conference, 14 September 2026 is ideal for professionals, entrepreneurs, startup founders, and networking enthusiasts eager to grow their connections. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Manchester, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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