More than 450 economists, policymakers and students gathered at Newcastle University from 29 June to 1 July for the Royal Economic Society’s Annual Conference 2026, marking the first time the Society’s flagship event has been hosted in the city.
Across three days of keynote lectures, special sessions, research presentations and networking events, delegates explored many of the defining economic questions of our time. From artificial intelligence and productivity to political polarisation, social policy and the future of economic data, the conference showcased the breadth of research taking place across the discipline, while highlighting the role economists play in helping society respond to rapid technological, economic and social change.
Artificial intelligence, productivity and the future of growth
This year’s conference opened with the Presidential Address from Professor Sir Christopher Pissarides, AI Disruptions in the Labour Market, which set the tone for many of the discussions that followed. Rather than focusing on predictions of widespread job losses, Professor Pissarides argued that the greatest challenge posed by AI is uncertainty. While the technology has enormous potential, its impact will depend on how governments, businesses and workers respond, with policy, investment in skills and changes to workplace practices all playing a role in ensuring AI supports higher productivity and better jobs.
Questions of productivity and long-term economic growth returned on the conference’s final day, when Professor John Van Reenen explored how innovation can help address one of the UK’s most pressing economic challenges. Highlighting the UK’s prolonged period of weak productivity growth, he argued that sustained improvements in living standards will depend on identifying and supporting the industries with the greatest potential to drive innovation and growth, while recognising that stronger productivity underpins progress on wider challenges including public finances, inequality, defence and the transition to net zero.
Understanding how technology is reshaping society
The conference also examined the growing influence of digital technologies beyond the workplace.
Delivering the Economic Journal Lecture, Professor Ekaterina Zhuravskaya explored how mobile broadband, social media and algorithmic feeds have transformed political communication around the world. Drawing together a decade of research, she examined how digital platforms have changed the way people access political information, engage with public debate and participate in democratic processes, creating new opportunities for communication while also presenting significant challenges for democratic societies.
Research presented elsewhere in the programme reflected similar themes, with sessions exploring economic behaviour, digital platforms and emerging technologies, while the Best Poster Presentation, awarded to Adam Di Lizia (University of Warwick), examined how exposure to short-form online content may influence attention and the way people consume information.
Evidence for better public policy
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the importance of using rigorous evidence to improve public policy.
In the Hahn Lecture, Professor Manasi Deshpande examined how the design of social safety net programmes affects access to support. Focusing on the administrative barriers people face when applying for benefits, she presented evidence showing that while additional enrolment hurdles consistently reduce programme participation, they do not consistently improve the targeting of support towards those most in need. Her research highlighted how seemingly small aspects of programme design can have significant implications for the accessibility and effectiveness of public policy.
These themes were echoed throughout the wider programme, with delegates exploring research on fiscal sustainability, migration, monetary policy, global inequality, climate policy, football regulation, econometric methods and many other areas of economics, demonstrating both the diversity of the discipline and its continued relevance to contemporary policy debates.
Building the foundations for future research
Alongside discussions of economic policy, the conference also looked at the infrastructure needed to support high-quality research.
A special session on the future of UK economic data brought together Dr Catherine L Mann (Bank of England), James Benford (Office for National Statistics) and Dr Tanya Wilson (University of Glasgow) to discuss the Royal Economic Society’s TRACE initiative: Trusted, Accessible and Connected. The session highlighted the importance of improving access to administrative data, strengthening links between datasets and ensuring researchers have the tools needed to answer increasingly complex policy questions. It also reflected the Society’s ongoing role in bringing together researchers, policymakers and public institutions to improve the UK’s economic data landscape.
Collaboration was also the theme at a research hackathon, which brought together academics and policymakers from across government to develop research ideas supporting the UK’s growth mission, alongside numerous opportunities for delegates to build new collaborations throughout the three-day programme.
Supporting the next generation of economists
One of the highlights of the conference was a new session from Discover Economics, which welcomed 80 Year 12 students from Kings Priory School, Whitley Bay High School and Durham Sixth Form Centre.
Students heard directly from economists, academics and current university students about studying economics before leading an engaging discussion of their own, asking questions about university applications, careers, earning potential and the skills needed to succeed in the profession. The session reflected the Society’s ongoing commitment to widening participation in economics and inspiring the next generation of economists.
The conference also featured an encouraging discussion on leadership in economics and the wider economy, bringing together Sarah Davidson, Dr Catherine L Mann and Professor Dame Rachel Griffith, chaired by Professor Jo Swaffield OBE, to reflect on leadership, career development and the future of the profession.
Recognising excellence
The conference was also an opportunity to celebrate some outstanding contributions to economics through a number of awards.
At the Gala Dinner and Awards Evening, Professor Sir Richard Blundell received the RES Medal for Services to the Economics Profession in recognition of his exceptional contribution to economics over more than four decades.
Presenting the award, RES Past President Professor Imran Rasul said Richard Blundell represented the “very best of academic economists.”
“Over four decades, he has made exceptional contributions to promoting economics and supporting economists in the UK. His research has impacted many core areas of economic policy – such as the design of the tax and benefit system, labour productivity and the causes and consequences of economic inequalities,” he said.
Congratulations also to:
Maksim Smirnov (CERGE-EI), Best Conference Paper
Adam Di Lizia (University of Warwick), Best Poster Presentation
Benjamin Milner, recipient of the 2025 Austin Robinson Memorial Prize
Jad Beyhum and Elia Lapenta, winners of the 2025 Denis Sargan Econometrics Prize
Grischa Perino, Robert Ritz and Arthur van Benthem, recipients of the 2025 Royal Economic Society Prize
Thank you
The Royal Economic Society thanks all speakers, delegates, volunteers, sponsors and partners for contributing to this year’s conference, and Newcastle University for hosting the event.
Keynote recordings
Recordings of keynote sessions are now available for members to view in the members’ portal.
If you are not a member and would like to view the recording, please consider joining as a member.
