|
The Network of Industrial Economists is a forum for interchange among university economists in the UK, and for interaction between academia, business, and government on topics of industry economics. The Network has run approximately 2 conferences per year over the past years. For information on upcoming events, see the conferences section.
About the Network
UK industrial economists established a study group in the 1970s, with mainly small, scattered, informal, London-centric meetings. In the 1990s,the study group enlarged and developed more regional involvement plus more participation from members researching different areas of industry economics: industries, firms, regulation, trade, technology, and national and regional growth. The by-then Network of Industrial Economists had become a forum not only for interchange about research, but also for two-way interaction between researchers and members from business, consultancy, and government agencies. The Network’s members are numerous and active; meetings often attract over 40 participants, half of all members choose to receive frequent communication via the Network’s electronic discussion group, and total membership sums to roughly 300.
Meetings have recently occurred around twice a year. Meeting lengths have been one to two days long at various locations throughout the UK.
The importance of the Network of Industrial Economists is apparent from
The Network has benefited from partial funding by various donors. The ESRC has just contributed a two-year grant of just over £15,000 from July 2006; this contributes toward travel expenses and secretarial costs. The Network also received ESRC awards in two earlier periods. In addition, funds have been found from a range of sources, most notably Charles River Associates, the Law and Economics Consulting Group, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, STICERD at LSE, and the British Academy. My view is that some core funding is required together if possible with individual funding for particular conferences.
Aims
-
My general vision is that more UK academic industrial economists should be seen (particularly from the viewpoint of those outside the UK) as of International standing and should have profiles that match up to those of US and European scholars in the field. We should pursue policies designed to achieve this aim. We do lack a cadre of new scholars coming forward to develop the subject, and we should aim to develop this.
-
The Network should not be a passive recipient of new members, but should actively attempt to identify and attract the best new scholars working in the UK and get them to join.
-
We should see our activities as complementary to those of the CEPR in industrial economics.
-
We should also plan on identifying scholars from elsewhere who we might attract as star names to give presentations at future conferences, to act as an “anchor” for the remainder of the papers. The idea would in part be to expose more domestic economists to what is viewed as good new work from outside the UK.
-
We should focus on a relatively small number of conferences per year, not more than two, and a small number of quality presenters.
-
My feeling is that we can probably work on the basis of conferences breaking even overall (i.e. expenses for presenters being covered by conference fees, with as before differential fees for academics and professionals). We might wish to seek sponsorship for certain events (like a major figure from the US).
Meetings
Conferences meetings, the main means for this interchange, are planned to occur twice yearly. Given trade-offs between research and policy issues, this schedule allows sufficient attention to practical policy issues without undermining basic research and the need for occasional meetings about underlying methods and basic science. (Additional meetings may be possible if outside funds can be arranged, and would definitely benefit particular communities such as London-are a policy practitioners.) Meetings last 2 days for the annual meetings, which bring together the broad constituencies of the Network community, and 1 or 2 days for more topical meetings, which attract particular interest groups as well as core participants.
Network members may propose potential conferences to the Chair and (informal) executive members (Steve Thompson, Nottingham, Margaret Slade, Warwick and Paul Dobson, Loughborough), who select among the proposals according to importance of the topic, interest, and financial feasibility. If you are interested in hosting or helping to prepare a specific conference, please do propose your idea to the Chairman -- your interest and active participation are much appreciated.
Since 1997 most meetings have taken place outside London. The UK-wide location has been beneficial in that it actively involves members throughout the UK, drawing in talent that otherwise might not be involved, in order to organise conferences in sub-disciplines whose best practitioners do not happen to be in London. However, the widespread locations may have increased travel costs to the average participant (in turn discouraging participation). Therefore conferences in the London area are still planned, while still seeking members throughout the UK to organise conferences at their institutions.
Conferences are advertised and documented on this website. Themed meetings since 1997 have encompassed a very broad range of issues.
Who Is Involved and Who Benefits
The Network aims to bring the latest results from top-quality research to a wide audience. It provides settings, indeed sometimes targeted conferences involving practitioners, in which researchers can communicate simply, clearly, and effectively. The great demand for clear communication of research both within and outside universities suggests that this mode of communication serves an important need. The influence of best-practice industry research thus can extend from academics and postgraduate students to practitioners, policy makers and teaching-only specialists.
The Network encourages participation by practitioners, consultants and those involved in government service. The membership database is continually being edited and updated. Recent practitioner involvement from government has included for example members of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Northern Ireland Economic Council, the Economics and Statistics and Economics Advice Divisions of the Welsh Office, The Scottish Office Industry Department, the Post Office, the Bank of England, HM Treasury, the Competition Commission, and the Office of Fair Trading. Private sector participants have included for example members from the Confederation of British Industry, British Telecom, London Economics, NERA, Pioneer International, Ernst & Young Management Consultancy Services, the Advertising Association, Mitsubishi Bank Ltd, Corporate Planning Abbey National Plc, AIB Bank, and Unilever Plc.
There is a small and informal executive committee which steers the Network’s activities. This includes Paul Dobson (Loughborough) Margaret Slade (Warwick), and Steve Thompson (Nottingham).
Participation Policy
The Network and its meetings are open to all participants, subject to payment of any conference fees. UK members may request limited travel subsidies to encourage attendance; feel free to ask if you cannot otherwise cover travel expenses. Students are encouraged to participate. Students face the same paper selection process as other participants. Conference fees generally are lower for academic than non-academic attendees, as a means to provide the benefits of the Network to non-academic members while allowing its continued operation. Conference selection procedures ensure that meetings present quality research, while still encouraging attendance and participation from less-experienced researchers.
Our mailing list has roughly 300 members. The majority are from universities, with others from government and industry. Members include some of the world’s leading industrial economists.
Michael Waterson,
Chairman,
2006
|
About the NIE 
