IARIW-UNSW Conference on Productivity: Measurement, Drivers and Trends, Sydney, Australia, November 26-27, 2013

Programme (as of November 25, 2013) 

For more information on the Conference, click here 

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26

8:30 — Tea and coffee

9:00 — Opening remarks:

Barbara Fraumeni (IARIW Chair) and Denise Doiron (Head, School of Economics, UNSW)

9:15 — Invited Opening Address:

Chair: Denise Doiron (UNSW)

• Philip Lowe (Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia),

“Productivity and Infrastructure”

10:00 — Session 1: Perspectives on International Productivity Performance

Chair: Geoff Lewis (New Zealand Productivity Commission)

• 1. Bart van Ark (The Conference Board and University of Groningen), Vivian Chen (The Conference Board), Bert Colijn (The Conference Board), Kirsten Jaeger (The Conference Board), Wim Overmeer (The Conference Board), and Marcel Timmer (University of Groningen),

“Recent Changes in Europe’s Competitive Landscape and Medium-Term Perspectives: How the Sources of Demand and Supply Are Shaping Up” [Abstract]

Discussant: Paul Schreyer (OECD)

• • 2. Erwin Diewert (University of British Columbia and UNSW),

  “US TFP Growth and the Contribution of Changes in Export and Import Prices to Real Income Growth” [Abstract]

• • Appendix:

  Extended Business Sector Data on Outputs and Inputs for the U.S.: 1987-2011

•  Discussant:
   Marshall Reinsdorf (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

11:00 — Break

11:30 — Session 2: Parallel Sessions

Session 2A: Country Productivity Studies: China

Chair: Shiji Zhao (Australian Productivity Commission)

• 1. Linlin Sun (Beihang University), Ruoen Ren (Beihang University), Xiaoqin Li (The Conference Board), Leona Li (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) and Maoqin Fan (Central University of Finance and Economics),

“Productivity Growth in China: Industrial and Aggregate Measures, Drivers and International Comparisons in Asia” [Abstract]

Discussant: Hui Wei (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

• • 2. Carlo Milana (University of London) and Harry X. Wu (Hitotsubashi University),

  “China’s Productivity Performance in the Government-Engineered Growth – A ‘True’ Index Number Approach”

• •  [

  Abstract

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Discussant: Prasada Rao (University of Queensland)

Session 2B: R&D and Innovation

Chair: Bruce Grey (Managing Director, Advanced Manufacturing CRC)

• • 1. Alfons Palangkaraya (University of Melbourne), Tom Spurling (Swinburne University) and Beth Webster (University of Melbourne),

  “Should Non-innovators Innovate? A Firm-level Study”

• •  [

  Abstract

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Discussant: Wulong Gu (Statistics Canada)

• • 2. Changtao Wang (UNSW),

  “The Long-run Effect of Innovations on Economic Growth”

• •  [

  Abstract

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Discussant: Jonathan Haskel (Imperial College Business School)

12:30 — Lunch

1:30 — Featured Speaker

Chair: Kevin Fox (UNSW)

• • Peter Goodridge (Imperial College Business School), Jonathan Haskel (Imperial College Business School) and Gavin Wallis (Bank of England and UCL),

  “Spillovers from R&D and Other Intangible Investment: Evidence from UK Industries” [Abstract]

2:15 — Session 3: The Measurement of R&D and Intangibles

Chair: Dean Parham (University of Adelaide)

• • 1. Thomas Niebel (Centre for European Economic Research), Mary O’Mahony (Birmingham Business School) and Marianne Saam (Centre for European Economic Research),

  “Intangible Investment at the Industry Level: Growth Accounting” [Abstract]

Discussant: Daniel Sichel (Wellesley College)

• • 2. Gaétan de Rassenfosse (University of Melbourne),

  “Survey-data Estimates of the R&D Depreciation Rate” [Abstract]

Discussant: Marshall Reinsdorf (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

3:15 — Break

3:45 — Session 4: Parallel Sessions

Session 4A: EUKLEMS and World KLEMS Studies

Chair: Sri Hartini Rachmad (Statistics Indonesia)

• • 1. Antonio Peyrache (University of Queensland), Alicia N. Rambaldi (University of Queensland) and D. T. Trinh (University of Queensland),

  “Aggregate Labour Productivity Growth, TFP and Structural Change with EU-KLEMS” [Abstract]

Discussant: Bart van Ark (Conference Board)

• • 2. Deb Kusum Das (University of Delhi), Abdul Azeez Erumban (University of Groningen), Suresh Aggarwal (University of Delhi) and Sreerupa Sengupta (ICRIER),

  “Revisiting the Service-led Growth in India – Understanding India’s Service Sector Productivity Growth” [Abstract]

Discussant: Elisabetta Magnani (UNSW)

• • 3. Ilya Voskoboynikov (University of Groningen),

  “Sources of productivity growth in Eastern Europe and Russia after transition” [Abstract]

Discussant: Emili Tortosa-Ausina (Universitat Jaume I, Spain)

Session 4B: ICT Productivity and Capital Services

Chair: John Bell (Senior Associate, ACIL Allen Consulting)

• • 1. David M. Byrne (Federal Reserve Board), Stephen D. Oliner (American Enterprise Institute and UCLA) and Daniel E. Sichel (Wellesley College and NBER),

  “The GPT Behind IT: What is Happening to Semiconductor Prices?” [Abstract]

Discussant: Robert Hill (University of Graz)

• • 2. Hui Wei (Australian Bureau of Statistics) and Pengfei Zhao (Australian Bureau of Statistics),

  “Setting Rental Prices Right for Computers” [Abstract]

Discussant: Dennis Fixler (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

• • 3. Michael B. Cunningham (Economic Insights), Denis Lawrence (Economic Insights) and Koji Nomura (Keio University),

  “Capital Services, Embodied Technical Change and Obsolescence in Japan and Australia” [Abstract]

Discussant: Jan de Haan (Statistics Netherlands and Delft University of Technology)

6:00 — Cocktail reception

6:30 — Conference dinner

Guest Speaker: Fred Hilmer (President and Vice Chancellor, UNSW),“The Red Tape Challenge – From Meat Axe to Scalpels”

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27

8:30 — Tea and coffee

9:15 — Featured Speaker:

Chair: Dennis Fixler (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

• • Nicholas Oulton (London School of Economics),

  “Effects of Financial Crises on Productivity, Capital and Employment” [Abstract]

10:00 — Session 5: Natural Resources and Agriculture

Chair: Daniel Bunting (NSW Treasury)

• • 1. Nicola Brandt (OECD), Paul Schreyer (OECD) and Vera Zipperer (OECD),

  “Productivity Measurement with Natural Capital” [Abstract]

Discussant: Erwin Diewert (UBC and UNSW)

• • 2. Yu Sheng (ABARES), Tom Jackson (ABARES), Dandan Zhang (ANU) and Shiji Zhao (former ABARES staff),

  “Measuring Output, Input and Total Factor Productivity in Australian Agriculture: An Industry-level Analysis” [Abstract]

Discussant: Chris O’Donnell (University of Queensland)

11:00 — Break

11:30 — Session 6: Parallel Sessions

Session 6A: Country Productivity Studies: Canada

Chair: Alan Woodland (UNSW)

• • 1. Shutao Cao (Bank of Canada) and Sharon Kozicki (Bank of Canada),

  “Real GDI, Productivity and the Terms of Trade in Canada” [Abstract]

• • 2. Wulong Gu (Statistics Canada) and Beiling Yan (Statistics Canada),

  “The Industry and Country Origins of Aggregate Productivity Growth” [Abstract]

Discussant: Andrew Sharpe (IARIW and Centre for the Study of Living Standards)

Session 6B: Productivity and Efficiency Analysis

Chair: Dean Parham (University of Adelaide)

• • 1. Bert M. Balk (Erasmus University),

  “The Dynamics of Productivity Change: A Review of the Bottom-Up Approach” [Abstract]

Discussant: William Schworm (UNSW)

• • 2. R. Robert Russell (UC Riverside and UNSW) and William Schworm (UNSW),

  “Technological Inefficiency Indexes: A Binary Taxonomy and Generic Theorems” [Abstract]

Discussant: Antonio Peyrache (University of Queensland)

12:30 — Lunch

1:30 Session 7: Parallel Sessions

Session 7A: Country Productivity Studies

Chair: Mahmoud Mohamed El-Sarawy (Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Egypt)

• • 1. Paul Conway (New Zealand Productivity Commission) and Lisa Meehan (New Zealand Productivity Commission),

  “Productivity by the Numbers: The New Zealand Experience” [Abstract]

Discussant: Denis Lawrence (Economic Insights)

• • 2. Chris O’Donnell (University of Queensland),

  “An Economic Approach to Identifying the Drivers of Productivity Change in the Market Sectors of the Australian Economy” [Abstract]

Discussant: Amani Elnasri (UNSW)

• • 3. El-hadj M. Bah (University of Auckland),

  “Sectoral Productivity in Developing Countries” [Abstract]

Discussant: Harry Wu (Hitotsubashi University)

Session 7B: ICT and Productivity

Chair: Hodaka Morita (UNSW)

• • 1. Gilbert Cette (Banque de France), Jimmy Lopez (Université de Bourgogne) and Jacques Mairesse (ParisTech-ENSAE),

  “Upstream Product Market Regulations, ICT, R&D and Productivity” [Abstract]

Discussant: Beth Webster (University of Melbourne)

• • 2. Eva Hagsten (Statistics Sweden) and Anna Sabadash (JRC-IPTS),

  “A Neglected Input to Production: The Role of Schooled ICT Experts in Firm Performance” [Abstract]

Discussant: Barbara Fraumeni (University of Southern Maine)

• • 3. Michael Polder (Statistics Netherlands), Hugo de Bondt (Statistics Netherlands), George van Leeuwen (Statistics Netherlands) and Erik Veldhuizen (Statistics Netherlands),

  “Determinants of Productivity” [Abstract]

Discussant: Nicholas Oulton (LSE)

3:00 — Break

3:30 — Featured Speaker:

Chair: Paul Schreyer (OECD)

• • Erwin Diewert (UBC and UNSW),

  “Decompositions of Productivity Growth into Sectoral Effects” [Abstract]

4:15 — Panel Discussion: Priorities and Directions for Future Productivity Research

Chair: Andrew Sharpe (IARIW and Centre for the Study of Living Standards)

Speakers:

Dennis Fixler (Bureau of Economic Analysis)

Barbara Fraumeni (University of Southern Maine)

Paul Schreyer (OECD)

Dan Sichel (Wellesley College)

Bart van Ark (The Conference Board)

5:15 — End of conference

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