Best Smart Prosperity Institute Podcasts (2025)

1
A Regional Productivity Agenda for England 58:18

25d ago58:18

58:18

Regional growth is a key component for improving productivity growth in the UK. The gaps in productivity between English regions are unusually large compared to other countries. Why is that? What can be done about it? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Andy Westwood, Professor in Public Policy, Government and Business at The University of Ma…

1
How new is the new world order, Margaret MacMillan? 39:21

2M ago39:21

39:21

We are witnessing changes in the world order which many thought we would never live to see. The US, long a bedrock of democracy, appears to go heading down an anti-democratic path. Traditional alliances are falling apart, while longtime enemies are drawing closer together. Meanwhile Europe, long a central player in geopolitics, seems increasingly s…

1
Are the tech bros taking over the White House, Eoin Higgins? 31:02

2M ago31:02

31:02

Tech billionaires are exerting an enormous influence on the current Trump administration. It is not just Elon Musk and DOGE who are reshaping the American state. Behind the scenes, figures like Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and David Sacks are pushing an anti-regulation agenda and an anti-democratic entrepreneurial vision of politics. In this conve…

1
What can we learn from the Peasants' War of 1525, Lyndal Roper? 45:30

2M ago45:30

45:30

We are living through a time of immense upheaval, with geopolitical, social, and economic shifts reshaping our world every day. However, this is not the first time humanity has faced such dramatic changes. In this episode, Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett are joined by historian Lyndal Roper to take us back 500 years to the Peasants' War of 1524–25 – t…

1
Is Trump preparing a constitutional coup, Mark Medish? 41:12

2M ago41:12

41:12

In this episode of Future Discontinuous, we dive deep into the political turmoil following Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States. From overhauls in US domestic policy to disruptions in global diplomacy, this episode breaks down Trump‘s dramatic reshaping of the world order. Together with Mark Medish, policy consulta…

1
Are Ultra-Processed Foods the New Silent Killers, Rosie Boycott? 41:06

3M ago41:06

41:06

Ultra-Processed Foods lie at the heart of a global increase in a variety of chronic and fatal diseases from cancer to Type 2 Diabetes. The food industry has been pouring billions into convincing governments not to regulate these additives which make everything from baby food to burgers addictive, persuading customers to return for more. Rosie Boyco…

1
Who has a plan for peace in the Middle East, Dahlia Scheindlin? 49:12

3M ago49:12

49:12

The flood of headlines about the war in Israel and Gaza can feel overwhelming. Season two of Future Discontinuous kicks off with an episode examining the current state of the conflict, highlighting geopolitical dynamics and influential players. In conversation with Dahlia Scheindlin, hosts Eva Konzett and Misha Glenny explore Israeli public opinion…

1
A Productivity Agenda for the Devolved Nations 1:01:37

3M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we examine the productivity performance of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. How do the three devolved nations perform on productivity? What are the differences and the similarities between them? How do they compare to England? The discussion features insights from Melanie Jones, John Turner, and Graeme …

1
Strategic Productivity: Unlocking the UK’s Productivity Potential 54:59

4M ago54:59

54:59

How do different leaders within a firm think about productivity? This can vary significantly between the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Chief Information Officer. How do they work with their teams on productivity-related issues? What are the opportunities and barriers they face? Host Professor Bart van Ark is jo…

1
Do we have to destroy the environment to save it, Julie Klinger? 41:18

5M ago41:18

41:18

It is no news that humanity will have to extract enormous amounts of rare earths and other critical raw materials to move away from carbon-based economies. In episode four of Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha and Eva invite Julie Klinger, who studies the geopolitics of resource usage, to discuss the pitfalls of the green energy transition, whether …

1
Wrapping Up 2024: Is there a productive growth path forward? 50:07

5M ago50:07

50:07

2024 has been quite a year. A new government, big plans, but a growth and productivity revival isn’t visible yet. These things take time. Is the UK still on track for a reset of policy to boost growth and productivity? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with how we're thinking about these subjects? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: D…

1
What does the fall of Assad mean for Russia, Mark Galeotti? 41:44

5M ago41:44

41:44

Making sense of the current geopolitical moment is no easy undertaking. In the third episode of Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett invite prolific author, historian, and Russia expert Mark Galeotti on the podcast. Together with their guest, they try to illuminate the murky waters of Russia’s foreign policy, the repercussions o…

1
Why do we need a world government, Nils Gilman? 41:31

5M ago41:31

41:31

In the second episode of Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett are joined by historian Nils Gilman, COO of the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles. Together with their guest, they take a deep dive into the national, the global, and the planetary, and discuss how the outbreak of the Black Death in the 1300s differed from COVID-19, …

1
What does another Trump presidency mean for global politics, Stephen Walt? 46:52

5M ago46:52

46:52

In the first episode of Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny (IWM) and Eva Konzett (FALTER) welcome international relations scholar and Harvard Professor Stephen Walt. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the US elections and their implications for the international stage. Against the backdrop of heightened global tensions, what does th…

1
Trailer: What to expect from Future Discontinuous 1:07

5M ago1:07

1:07

Feeling lost in a crumbling world? In Future Discontinuous, hosts Misha Glenny and Eva Konzett explore global challenges with top thinkers. From climate tech to geopolitics, they seek answers to whether humanity can reverse decline or face conflict. Join them to navigate uncharted waters with hope. Our hosts Misha Glenny is the Rector of the Instit…

1
Industrial Strategy: What To Do and What Not To Do? 53:07

7M ago53:07

53:07

With a new government in town, industrial strategy is back. Why now? How will it help growth and productivity? How do we get it right? And, perhaps equally important, how do we make sure we don’t get it wrong this time? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by: Dame Kate Barker, Chair of the Universities Superannuation Scheme and Chair of The Produ…

1
Business model innovation and strategic productivity 52:18

10M ago52:18

52:18

Why is business model innovation the key to an organisation’s productivity? What does it take to do it right? New technologies and new business practices don’t just come out of the blue. They happen because firms embed them in their processes so they can create a valuable proposition for their customers. This episode explores the challenges and opp…

1
UK Election 2024: A Productivity Plan 52:20

11M ago52:20

52:20

The election manifestos published in the second week of June 2024 sparsely recognise the importance of productivity. This is perhaps because it's not the most glamorous topic for voters to be excited about being canvassed on their doorstep. But for any incoming government, productivity will need to run through the core of the policy agenda in the c…

1
507: Unlocking Business Succession: The Power of ESOPs with Keith Butcher 24:48

11M ago24:48

24:48

In an interview with Jason Hartman, Keith Butcher, founder of Butcher Joseph, discusses business succession and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). With many business owners approaching retirement, ESOPs offer a tax-efficient way to transition ownership to employees. This model enhances employee retention and loyalty, providing long-term retire…

1
How do business leaders think about productivity? 53:33

12M ago53:33

53:33

Why should firms care about productivity? How does it add to the bottom line? What exactly drives productivity? And how can you get better at it? This episode is a conversation with three current and former business leaders talking about how they think about productivity, what it means to them, and what practical productivity measures their firms u…

1
Government policy and business productivity: does it help or harm? 59:31

1y ago59:31

59:31

What is the best thing government can do to help improve business productivity? Provide more business support? Create better conditions for doing business? Or simply, get out of the way. In other words, can government policy and business growth ever become a happy marriage? Host Professor Bart van Ark is joined by a co-host: Stephen Roper, Professo…

1
Business Dynamism: is turbulence good for productivity? 53:23

1y ago53:23

53:23

What is business dynamism? Do we need a bit more turbulence in business creation, growth and change to get productivity up again? This episode, the first of three on the productivity of firms, looks at the mechanism between productivity and business dynamism, whether there are big differences between countries, and whether and how we can get a bit …

1
Wrapping up Productivity Puzzles 2023: brief interviews with productivity experts 43:05

1+ y ago43:05

43:05

The final episode of Productivity Puzzles Season 2 examines whether 2023 has brought us closer to putting the productivity puzzle together. What are some of the most important insights from this season of the podcast? And what can we learn from The Productivity Institute's Productivity Agenda? The conversation covers the challenges in institutional…

1
506: Navigating the Storm: A CEO's Tale of Business Triumph in Turbulent Times 20:45

1+ y ago20:45

20:45

Jason interviews Johnny Serpilla, former President of Camping World, about his book, "Life is Hard, but I'll be Okay", and his experiences in leadership and business. Johnny emphasizes the importance of approaching life with one heart and mind, the role of gratitude in leadership, and the impact of personal problems on work. Johnny also discusses t…

1
Revisiting the UK productivity puzzle: national and regional perspectives 1:14:06

1+ y ago1:14:06

1:14:06

Is the UK Productivity Puzzle anywhere closer to being solved? Where do we see progress? And what are the pieces of the jigsaw that still need to be found? This episode of Productivity Puzzles, released during National Productivity Week, examines the outlook for productivity growth and the best policies that will lead to better outcomes. Host Profe…

1
Why does the UK do so well on the Global Innovation Index? 54:34

1+ y ago54:34

54:34

How do we measure innovation and compare it across countries? And how can it be that the UK is doing so well as an innovation nation, while we seem to be underperforming on productivity? This episode of Productivity Puzzles takes a deep dive into the latest 2023 Global Innovation Index (GII) and its implications for the UK's productivity. The UK ra…

1
What makes firms productive? Lessons learned from across G7 economies 51:05

1+ y ago51:05

51:05

What makes a business productive? Do businesses have a sense of what they’re good at and where to improve? This episode of Productivity Puzzles looks at the Productive Business Index produced by Be The Business, one of The Productivity Institute’s strategic partners. The index, which has been published since 2020, serves as a barometer on how busin…

1
Science, Technology, Innovation and Pro-Productivity Policies 47:50

1+ y ago47:50

47:50

What have policies to boost science, technology and innovation done for productivity? Which policies are most effective? Which countries have been most successful in using them? This episode of Productivity Puzzles steps away from the usual panel format to engage in a reflective conversation between Bart van Ark and Dirk Pilat, a seasoned expert wi…

1
Turnaround Cities: Lessons learned for the UK 50:37

2y ago50:37

50:37

How have some troubled cities overseas turned themselves around? What did they invest in? How did they organise themselves? Cities are concentrations of economic activity where businesses tend to locate, not just because many of their customers are there, but also because that’s where most of the skilled workers live and where – more broadly – inno…

1
505: Protecting Your Online Reputation: Expert Insights from Matt Earle | Reputation.ca 27:38

2y ago27:38

27:38

In this interview, Matt Earle from Reputation.ca discusses the problem of online reputation damage and how it can affect individuals and businesses. When negative or false information appears in Google search results, it can harm a person's reputation. Reputation.ca focuses on deleting harmful content whenever possible, but it's challenging when de…

1
Artificial Intelligence and Productivity 53:24

2y ago53:24

53:24

Will artificial intelligence rescue us from the productivity demise? If humans cannot get productivity up, can intelligent machines bring about the productivity revival? While certainly not the only digital technology that has come along in the past few decades, AI perhaps speaks to our imagination more than all those before it as it directly impac…

1
Greening Productivity 52:53

2y ago52:53

52:53

Can we make the economy greener and still be productive? Or even better, can productivity help us to make the economy greener? This episode of Productivity Puzzles examines what climate change and the transition to a Net Zero means for productivity, and whether the challenges to green the economy make it even harder to raise productivity. Crucially…

1
Can We Make the Four-Day Week Work? 52:36

2y ago52:36

52:36

Is the five-day work week becoming something of the past? Does working less make us and the organisations that we work for better off? Could it even make us more productive? This episode explores the four-day work week, which has become a popular topic in the media, chats at the water-cooler, and, more recently, in boardrooms. With more firms commi…

1
Skills, Innovation, and Productivity: Further Education Colleges and Place 53:54

2y ago53:54

53:54

How do Further Education Colleges contribute to the provision of skills needed for innovation and productivity in regions, cities and towns? How do they identify what businesses need, and how do they work with firms, local government and other schools? This episode of Productivity Puzzles focuses on the findings of a summary report looking into the…

1
Science and Innovation Policy for Hard Times 54:32

2y ago54:32

54:32

There is a new UK government department for science, innovation, and technology. Will the new standalone entity turn Britain into the science superpower that it hopes to become? Will the new department lift productivity growth during the hard times that the country is currently facing? This episode of Productivity Puzzles investigates these issues …

1
Global and European Productivity Outlook 2023-2030 53:31

2+ y ago53:31

53:31

What do we know about where productivity is heading? What will happen to productivity in the UK, around Europe, and even around the world? This episode takes a forward-looking perspective on future productivity and what needs to be done to realise that productivity potential. What policy changes can be made and what measures can businesses implemen…

1
The Productivity Policy Agenda: Short-Term Priorities and Long-Term Commitments 1:00:47

2+ y ago1:00:47

1:00:47

Should the next Prime Minister embrace productivity as a cornerstone of the policy agenda for the new UK government in September? Can it help to get us through the economic winter ahead of us, and onto a path of sustained recovery? What policies are most critical, what should be continued, strengthened or perhaps stopped? The final episode of Seaso…

1
504: How to Self-Publish Your Book! Chandler Bolt, Self-Publishing School 20:36

2+ y ago20:36

20:36

A book is the new business card and a great way to grow your business! Chandler Bolt is an investor, advisor, the CEO of Self-Publishing School & SelfPublishing.com, and the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.” Self-Publishing School is an INC 5000 company the last 3 years in a row as one of the 5,000 fas…

1
503: Todd Duncan & High Trust Selling: The Holy Grail of Sales Influence 42:27

3y ago42:27

42:27

It takes a lifetime to build trust, and a minute to lose it. Jason Hartman welcomes Todd Duncan, author, speaker and the world’s leading authority on trust! People thrive on trust and the bigger the financial decision, the more trust is necessary. How can you create that? Todd also reminds us that nobody gets a paycheck for being busy! Managing you…

1
Making Public Sector Productivity Practical 49:37

3y ago49:37

49:37

Despite showing slow productivity growth over the past decade, the public sector has performed better than the private sector and there is quite a bit of scope for further improvement. This instalment of Productivity Puzzles delves into how and why productivity could grow in the public sector. This episode is a prelude to the publication of the Mak…

1
Productivity and well-being 50:08

3y ago50:08

50:08

How can productivity benefit not just business and the economy, but also ourselves? What does it take for a society to grow productivity and raise well-being? Can digital technology make us happier, as well as more productive? In this episode, we look at which investments are needed to create more well-being and what role social factors, such as tr…

1
The Wales Productivity Challenge 52:22

3y ago52:22

52:22

Did you know that the manufacturing sector in Wales accounts for a larger share of the economy than elsewhere in the UK? That the Welsh economy is also developing exciting new activities in arts and culture and tackling the difficult balancing act between raising productivity and improving health and well-being head on? In this episode, we take a d…

1
Can productivity rescue the global economic recovery? 29:50

3y ago29:50

29:50

Are economies making the most of their human and material resources? Through most of modern history, we've assumed that progress in technology and efficiency will make every person employed and our work more productive over time. Is this a hopeful trend? Is it still holding true? Will it hold true throughout the 21st Century? This special episode o…

1
Restarting the Future: How Intangibles Can Fuel Productivity 54:01

3y ago54:01

54:01

Why has economic growth slowed down? Have we already exhausted the benefits from the digital revolution? Are the trusted institutions of the 20th century now failing in the investments most needed for future growth in productivity? This episode takes a deep dive into the book Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy, which provides …

1
Staying productive in uncertain times 55:19

3y ago55:19

55:19

How do we respond to uncertainties that crises create? Are they holding us back in investing, hiring and innovating? Or can crises make us more agile and resilient, perhaps even more creative and inventive? How do we balance risks and opportunities? And what might that mean for productivity? The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and the …

1
Mar 31: Are electric vehicles at a tipping point in Canada? 28:40

3y ago28:40

28:40

Are electric vehicles at a tipping point? The price of gasoline is spiking and suddenly so is demand for electric vehicles. Though Canada has been behind its peers when it comes to EV adoption, with only 5% of new vehicle purchases being electric in 2021, that could change quickly. Are we at a tipping point? This episode shares the latest data on m…

1
502: Dr. Peter McCullough, Mandates, Misinformation, Censorship & The Thought Police 38:51

3y ago38:51

38:51

Join Jason today as he welcomes Dr. Peter McCullough, MD. Dr. McCullough has over 50 peer-reviewed papers and is an extremely credible person in the medical field. You can also watch the video NOT on YouTube (having been censored) but on Jason’s other video sites: JasonHartman.com/Rumble JasonHartman.com/Bitchute JasonHartman.com/Odysee After recei…

1
501: Russia’s War on Ukraine: Peter Zeihan & Russian New World Order, NATO, Economic & Agricultural Fallout 27:55

3y ago27:55

27:55

Today, Jason welcomes geopolitical expert Peter Zeihan to the show today to discuss the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Peter discusses Putin’s motivations, Russia’s demographics and energy exports and if the response from the West will be enough to stop this conflict. What are the short and long term economic and agricultural implications …

1
500: Mark Victor Hansen, Ask! The Bridge From Your Dreams to Reality, Jason Hartman University Live Event 29:50

3y ago29:50

29:50

The legendary Mark Victor Hansen, best selling author, real estate investor and entrepreneur is Jason's guest in today's 10th episode, talking about his new book, Ask!: The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. Most people have beautiful dreams deep inside—the things they would like to have, the relationships they’d love to enjoy, and the wellne…

1
New business formation and productivity 50:02

3y ago50:02

50:02

Why do we need new firms? How important is business creation for employment and productivity? How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the churning of businesses? In this episode of Productivity Puzzles, we discuss business dynamism, which is about the birth, growth and decline of businesses, also called churning. The evidence shows that churning …

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