Investigating how meritocracy enables economic growth Socioeconomic inequality is on the rise across the globe, yet research suggests that citizens in unequal societies characterized by greater inequality are generally less concerned about inequality than those in more egalitarian societies. One possible explanation for this is that people may be more likely to accept inequality if…
New research will help understand how innovations in technology are spread across regions, industries, occupations and firms to generate key data insights for businesses The development of novel technologies, the degree to which they affect jobs and the speed with which they spread across regions, firms and industries are key elements in the study of…
How public science transforms drug-development efforts This project studies whether and how public science can promote innovation in the private-sector development of drugs and biologics, with particular attention to the oncology market. The work has policy implications for today’s health environment. For example, while the Covid-19 pandemic has affected every facet of our daily lives,…
Towards understanding how the consumption patterns of the wealthy sectors of society impact the poorer to better inform macroeconomic policy choices. “Understanding how different consumption patterns by the wealthy and the poor affect the economic cycle and its amplification can help policy makers target scarce resources to improve the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members…
The Wheeler Institute recognises Shikhar Singla’s research. Over the last few decades, economists have shown that different components of culture and economic institutions matter for economic and financial development. Attitudes and beliefs about groups can have important consequences for their economic performance. Strong economic institutions are a significant cause of long run while creditor rights,…
Towards a long-term research initiative at the intersection of ESG and entrepreneurship The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment decisions has increased rapidly, but investing in high-growth startups through venture capital (VC) has significantly lagged behind. Evidence suggests this trend is accelerating, and that VCs tend to invest in highly disruptive…
Providing real-time, market-based evidence on threats to institutional independence With the rise of political polarisation and populism in recent election cycles, attacks on national and international independent institutions (Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation) have increased. Analysing market-implied expectations around attacks by political leaders allows assessment of the credibility and severity of…
Is a low oil price only bad for renewables? The challenge Oil and gas firms respond to high oil prices by investing in exploration and production within the industry. Following an oil price decline, however, they face a shortage in investment opportunities and stall production. Such downturns affect both oil and gas producers and the…
Investigating ways to cure disease, reduce mortality rates and improve life expectancy The challenge Research and development (R&D) expenditure in the pharmaceutical industry is extremely high. However, developing countries face severe resource constraints and weak institutions, and their urgent need for medicines can only be met by profit-driven, big pharmaceutical firms. Why do (some) firms…
Establishing an interdisciplinary community of practice The Challenge Cyber attacks have the capacity to cause great financial and physical harm to individuals and households, disrupt business operations, and destabilise entire communities. These threats are particularly acute for institutionally-fragile environments with poor penetration of training and education. A first-order concern are large-scale, state-sponsored cyber attacks that…