Richard Jones
@richardaljones.bsky.social
Retired, former Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, University of Manchester. Science & innovation policy, regional economic growth, polymer physics.
www.softmachines.org
www.softmachines.org
Pinned
Richard Jones
@richardaljones.bsky.social
· Jun 21
The civic university in hard times – Soft Machines
www.softmachines.org
UK Universities are under huge financial pressure - does this mean they should step back from their role in their communities?
A blogpost arguing this would be a big mistake; instead they should take even more seriously their role supporting regional economies.
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
A blogpost arguing this would be a big mistake; instead they should take even more seriously their role supporting regional economies.
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
Important FT piece on China's challenge to the US and Europe in creating the world's leading innovation economy:
"The focus has built deep advanced manufacturing ecosystems around scaling and integration into the real economy, rather than ‘blue sky’ science..."
www.ft.com/content/3ecc...
"The focus has built deep advanced manufacturing ecosystems around scaling and integration into the real economy, rather than ‘blue sky’ science..."
www.ft.com/content/3ecc...
November 28, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Important FT piece on China's challenge to the US and Europe in creating the world's leading innovation economy:
"The focus has built deep advanced manufacturing ecosystems around scaling and integration into the real economy, rather than ‘blue sky’ science..."
www.ft.com/content/3ecc...
"The focus has built deep advanced manufacturing ecosystems around scaling and integration into the real economy, rather than ‘blue sky’ science..."
www.ft.com/content/3ecc...
Reposted by Richard Jones
A blog on innovation, universities and the regions that really, really need them. Written with my very good colleague @jcaustin.bsky.social and published by IPS (International Politics & Society) in Berlin.
www.ips-journal.eu/work-and-dig...
www.ips-journal.eu/work-and-dig...
Innovation nation
Europe’s future growth and democratic stability depend on universities stepping up their innovation game
www.ips-journal.eu
November 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
A blog on innovation, universities and the regions that really, really need them. Written with my very good colleague @jcaustin.bsky.social and published by IPS (International Politics & Society) in Berlin.
www.ips-journal.eu/work-and-dig...
www.ips-journal.eu/work-and-dig...
A better way of visualising the historic awfulness of our current productivity growth performance. Are we really saying technological progress has come to an end and there's nothing more we can do about it?
(Also, please join my campaign against plotting the derivative of noisy data)
(Also, please join my campaign against plotting the derivative of noisy data)
November 27, 2025 at 3:24 PM
A better way of visualising the historic awfulness of our current productivity growth performance. Are we really saying technological progress has come to an end and there's nothing more we can do about it?
(Also, please join my campaign against plotting the derivative of noisy data)
(Also, please join my campaign against plotting the derivative of noisy data)
It's good that the Office for Budgetary Responsibility has issued a document explaining its productivity prediction downgrade.
It could, however, have been much shorter.
Along the lines of:
"As figure 5.2 shows, the OBR's productivity forecasts have zero credibility & should be ignored."
It could, however, have been much shorter.
Along the lines of:
"As figure 5.2 shows, the OBR's productivity forecasts have zero credibility & should be ignored."
November 27, 2025 at 9:31 AM
It's good that the Office for Budgetary Responsibility has issued a document explaining its productivity prediction downgrade.
It could, however, have been much shorter.
Along the lines of:
"As figure 5.2 shows, the OBR's productivity forecasts have zero credibility & should be ignored."
It could, however, have been much shorter.
Along the lines of:
"As figure 5.2 shows, the OBR's productivity forecasts have zero credibility & should be ignored."
This post gets to the crux of our difficult economic situation - & this is the crucial plot.
Our problem - we didn't invest in the future, & now the future has arrived.
Now we need to move from consumption led growth to investment led growth.
Our problem - we didn't invest in the future, & now the future has arrived.
Now we need to move from consumption led growth to investment led growth.
November 26, 2025 at 7:12 PM
This post gets to the crux of our difficult economic situation - & this is the crucial plot.
Our problem - we didn't invest in the future, & now the future has arrived.
Now we need to move from consumption led growth to investment led growth.
Our problem - we didn't invest in the future, & now the future has arrived.
Now we need to move from consumption led growth to investment led growth.
Reposted by Richard Jones
Here is @richardaljones.bsky.social basically telling us how it is. I’ve been thinking about this since listening to him say this stuff out loud at the @royalsociety.org
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
UK Science in a post-liberal world – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Here is @richardaljones.bsky.social basically telling us how it is. I’ve been thinking about this since listening to him say this stuff out loud at the @royalsociety.org
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
Reposted by Richard Jones
In case you are feeling too cheerful at the start of the weekend this @richardaljones.bsky.social piece on the likely future breakdown of consensus on science/R&D should take care of that
softmachines.org?p=3192
softmachines.org?p=3192
UK Science in a post-liberal world – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 21, 2025 at 9:45 PM
In case you are feeling too cheerful at the start of the weekend this @richardaljones.bsky.social piece on the likely future breakdown of consensus on science/R&D should take care of that
softmachines.org?p=3192
softmachines.org?p=3192
UK Science in a post-liberal world - a blogpost
I argue that a multi-decade period of consensus in UK science policy is likely soon to come to an end.
We must respond to a new focus on re-building, re-energising, re-arming and re-industrialising for a changed & hostile world
softmachines.org?p=3192
I argue that a multi-decade period of consensus in UK science policy is likely soon to come to an end.
We must respond to a new focus on re-building, re-energising, re-arming and re-industrialising for a changed & hostile world
softmachines.org?p=3192
UK Science in a post-liberal world – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 21, 2025 at 9:18 PM
UK Science in a post-liberal world - a blogpost
I argue that a multi-decade period of consensus in UK science policy is likely soon to come to an end.
We must respond to a new focus on re-building, re-energising, re-arming and re-industrialising for a changed & hostile world
softmachines.org?p=3192
I argue that a multi-decade period of consensus in UK science policy is likely soon to come to an end.
We must respond to a new focus on re-building, re-energising, re-arming and re-industrialising for a changed & hostile world
softmachines.org?p=3192
Should be a familiar story, but the rise of China, over just twenty years, as the world's dominant manufacturing superpower is an event of truly world-historical significance.
(This plot from @IfMCambridge's 2025 Innovation report)
www.ciip.group.cam.ac.uk/innovation/u...
(This plot from @IfMCambridge's 2025 Innovation report)
www.ciip.group.cam.ac.uk/innovation/u...
November 11, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Should be a familiar story, but the rise of China, over just twenty years, as the world's dominant manufacturing superpower is an event of truly world-historical significance.
(This plot from @IfMCambridge's 2025 Innovation report)
www.ciip.group.cam.ac.uk/innovation/u...
(This plot from @IfMCambridge's 2025 Innovation report)
www.ciip.group.cam.ac.uk/innovation/u...
Preparations for November budget once again dominated by discussions of UK's dismal productivity performance, with a threatened OBR growth forecast downgrade.
Only two sectors showed any overall increase in total factor productivity between 1995 & 2020:
manufacturing, & information/communication
Only two sectors showed any overall increase in total factor productivity between 1995 & 2020:
manufacturing, & information/communication
November 10, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Preparations for November budget once again dominated by discussions of UK's dismal productivity performance, with a threatened OBR growth forecast downgrade.
Only two sectors showed any overall increase in total factor productivity between 1995 & 2020:
manufacturing, & information/communication
Only two sectors showed any overall increase in total factor productivity between 1995 & 2020:
manufacturing, & information/communication
Manufacturing accounts for 8% of UK economy: should we try & increase this?
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost:
softmachines.org?p=3180
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost:
softmachines.org?p=3180
Good reasons and bad reasons for supporting manufacturing (and some uncertainties) – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 8, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Manufacturing accounts for 8% of UK economy: should we try & increase this?
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost:
softmachines.org?p=3180
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost:
softmachines.org?p=3180
Manufacturing accounts for 8% of UK economy: should we try & increase this?
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost: softmachines.org
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost: softmachines.org
Soft Machines, by Richard Jones – Science, innovation policy, economic growth, nanotechnology
softmachines.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Manufacturing accounts for 8% of UK economy: should we try & increase this?
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost: softmachines.org
Yes (imv), but it's important to distinguish some good arguments for this from bad ones (and recognise some uncertainties)
my blogpost: softmachines.org
Reposted by Richard Jones
The Liverpool City Region has been growing strongly in recent years – not too far behind Greater Manchester and third in the leaderboard of Northern productivity growth.
But why is this the case? And what can we learn for the UK productivity problem?
Short 🧵
1/5
But why is this the case? And what can we learn for the UK productivity problem?
Short 🧵
1/5
November 6, 2025 at 9:13 AM
The Liverpool City Region has been growing strongly in recent years – not too far behind Greater Manchester and third in the leaderboard of Northern productivity growth.
But why is this the case? And what can we learn for the UK productivity problem?
Short 🧵
1/5
But why is this the case? And what can we learn for the UK productivity problem?
Short 🧵
1/5
Remembering my mother, Sheila Howell Jones, who died on Friday
softmachines.org?p=3177
softmachines.org?p=3177
Sheila Howell Jones (1934-2025) – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Remembering my mother, Sheila Howell Jones, who died on Friday
softmachines.org?p=3177
softmachines.org?p=3177
Reposted by Richard Jones
Reflections on this year's economics Nobel prize, role of innovation in driving economic growth, and UK's changing institutions of innovation since the Industrial Revolution.
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
The Economics Nobel, Joel Mokyr, and the UK’s changing landscape of innovation – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
October 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reflections on this year's economics Nobel prize, role of innovation in driving economic growth, and UK's changing institutions of innovation since the Industrial Revolution.
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
Reflections on this year's economics Nobel prize, role of innovation in driving economic growth, and UK's changing institutions of innovation since the Industrial Revolution.
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
The Economics Nobel, Joel Mokyr, and the UK’s changing landscape of innovation – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
October 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reflections on this year's economics Nobel prize, role of innovation in driving economic growth, and UK's changing institutions of innovation since the Industrial Revolution.
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
"the laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted"
softmachines.org?p=3173
Reposted by Richard Jones
A recent flood of articles suggests that AI is a bubble, with even main protagonists agreeing.
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
The economic impact of AI: three scenarios – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
October 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
A recent flood of articles suggests that AI is a bubble, with even main protagonists agreeing.
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
A recent flood of articles suggests that AI is a bubble, with even main protagonists agreeing.
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
The economic impact of AI: three scenarios – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
October 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
A recent flood of articles suggests that AI is a bubble, with even main protagonists agreeing.
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
Earlier this year I suggested 3 scenarios for AI:
1. Intelligence explosion
2. Excel in prose
3. Crash and burn
It's Silicon Valley's belief in 1 that makes 3 more likely
My piece:
softmachines.org?p=3125
Reposted by Richard Jones
📊 New report by @joshmartinecon.bsky.social and Cliodhna Taylor for The Productivity Institute and @escoeorg.bsky.social tracks UK labour productivity across 184 industries from 2009–2023, more than double the granularity available from official datasets.
🔗 www.productivity.ac.uk/research/lab...
🔗 www.productivity.ac.uk/research/lab...
Labour productivity estimates for detailed industries in the UK, 2009 to 2023 - The Productivity Institute
Research constructing labour productivity estimates for 184 industries spanning the entire UK economy – more than double the granularity available from official datasets.
www.productivity.ac.uk
October 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
📊 New report by @joshmartinecon.bsky.social and Cliodhna Taylor for The Productivity Institute and @escoeorg.bsky.social tracks UK labour productivity across 184 industries from 2009–2023, more than double the granularity available from official datasets.
🔗 www.productivity.ac.uk/research/lab...
🔗 www.productivity.ac.uk/research/lab...
To state what should be painfully obvious, if you want to increase productivity in an environment that's close to full employment, you need fewer people working in hospitality, not more
October 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
To state what should be painfully obvious, if you want to increase productivity in an environment that's close to full employment, you need fewer people working in hospitality, not more
What sector of the UK's market economy showed the largest productivity growth since 1995?
The answer probably won't surprise you...
The answer probably won't surprise you...
September 28, 2025 at 7:49 AM
What sector of the UK's market economy showed the largest productivity growth since 1995?
The answer probably won't surprise you...
The answer probably won't surprise you...
UK's fiscal difficulties arise, as much because we don't earn enough, as because govt spends too much.
Cause is the productivity slowdown - without that we'd all be 36% richer
Maybe there's something to learn from Greater Manchester's outperformance in productivity growth
Cause is the productivity slowdown - without that we'd all be 36% richer
Maybe there's something to learn from Greater Manchester's outperformance in productivity growth
September 27, 2025 at 7:34 AM
UK's fiscal difficulties arise, as much because we don't earn enough, as because govt spends too much.
Cause is the productivity slowdown - without that we'd all be 36% richer
Maybe there's something to learn from Greater Manchester's outperformance in productivity growth
Cause is the productivity slowdown - without that we'd all be 36% richer
Maybe there's something to learn from Greater Manchester's outperformance in productivity growth
Some thoughts on my five years at the University of Manchester, & the progress we've made working with partners in the city-region to realise the University's potential to support Greater Manchester's economy
www.linkedin.com/pulse/though...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/though...
Thoughts on stepping down as VP for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement
At the end of September I step down from my role as Vice-President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement and retire from the University of Manchester. I was touched and honoured by the kind wor...
www.linkedin.com
September 24, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Some thoughts on my five years at the University of Manchester, & the progress we've made working with partners in the city-region to realise the University's potential to support Greater Manchester's economy
www.linkedin.com/pulse/though...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/though...
Reposted by Richard Jones
Three statements of local ambition stand in Halifax, West Yorkshire: the Town Hall, the Borough Market and the Piece Hall. Such monuments of civic pride still bear the names of farsighted local leaders from past generations.
🧵
1/13
🧵
1/13
September 22, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Three statements of local ambition stand in Halifax, West Yorkshire: the Town Hall, the Borough Market and the Piece Hall. Such monuments of civic pride still bear the names of farsighted local leaders from past generations.
🧵
1/13
🧵
1/13
Reposted by Richard Jones
the 'social license' for universities (and the case for a 'national' perspective) set out by @profserious.bsky.social
profserious.substack.com/p/on-our-soc...
profserious.substack.com/p/on-our-soc...
On Our Social License
universities and nation
profserious.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 8:04 AM
the 'social license' for universities (and the case for a 'national' perspective) set out by @profserious.bsky.social
profserious.substack.com/p/on-our-soc...
profserious.substack.com/p/on-our-soc...