Tag Archives: Economics

Trekonomics: Can We Achieve A Money Free Society?

treknomics star trek economy
Star Trek is one of the few science fiction universes that grapple with the idea that money may someday become obsolete. It’s a world where people are no longer interested in the accumulation of things. In this world, the way to cultivate status is by talent and intellect; for the betterment of ourselves and humanity. 

Productivity Is For The Robots (For Now)

It’s inevitable, the robots are coming for our jobs. McKinsey Global Institute predicts that robots could increase global productivity 50% by 2025, adding $2 trillion to the economy; other studies point to similar outcomes.

Right now we’re in phase one of the robot revolution: routine task automation.

How Do You Train People In Jobs That Yet To Exist?

Every technological transitions replaces or eliminates existing jobs but also creates new ones; the challenge is transitioning those who are left behind because they’ve become experts at doing things that are no longer needed.

Economist Intelligence Unit Research on Innovation Clusters

the success factors of innovation clusters

Why does Silicon Valley sustain innovation? What distinct behaviors drive that?

While it’s wrong to want to create ones own Silicon Valley, all innovation ecosystems share common traits.

On this episode of the Big Bang podcast I interview Adam Green, senior editor in the Thought Leadership department at the Economist Intelligence Unit, sister company to The Economist newspaper, on innovation clusters.

Adam is the lead researcher for the Economist Intelligence Unit research on innovation clusters. The report info graphics and short documentary explore innovation clusters globally, discusses their key success factors, and looks at how they change over their life cycle. We have looked at examples from Bangalore, London, Boulder, Singapore and Estonia, with interviewees from the likes of Imperial College, the London School of Economics and techUK. We’ve been particularly interested to show how innovation clusters themselves evolve, and the challenges that success can bring.

Below are some questions we discussed:

  • What is one trait that determines success of an entrepreneurial ecosystem?
  • What are the critical components of an innovation ecosystem?
  • What is the key component to start with if no other components are present?
  • What cultural characteristics are necessary for an innovation ecosystem to function?
  • What evidence, individual and/or organizational, will tell us that this culture is developing?
  • How can we adjust and improve an innovation ecosystem to increase its effectiveness?
  • How do innovation clusters change over time?

It was an insightful conversation, and hope you find it useful.

Let us know what you think on Twitter @jorgebarba and @adrianpedrin.

Watch the live recording:


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Intro audio is by Arturo Arriaga, outro audio is Candyland by Guy J.

What is an ideal living utopia, and why aren’t we living in one?

living utopiaPeople live off low paying jobs, they don’t have enough money and are unhappy; and there are no signs that it will stop anytime soon. Is this the living utopia we want?

On this week’s episode of The Big Bang podcast we dissect our current way of living as a society.