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...
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...
Some worrying issues in science teaching - continuing shortages of subject specialists (esp for physics), and lower than average retention rates, all adding up to blockages in the STEM talent pipeline
We need to sort out our science teaching in schools if we're to produce the next generation of STEM qualified workers and researchers for our economy. What's going wrong for teachers? occamstypewriter.org/athenedonald...
Science Education, Disadvantage and Teacher Burn-out | Athene Donald's Blog
occamstypewriter.org
September 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Some worrying issues in science teaching - continuing shortages of subject specialists (esp for physics), and lower than average retention rates, all adding up to blockages in the STEM talent pipeline
Really interesting "Lunch with FT" featuring physicist turned hedge fund boss J-P Bouchaud.
I remember hearing a great talk at the Cavendish by him, visiting Cambridge in mid-90s when he was still a physicist, on Lévy flights ...
I remember hearing a great talk at the Cavendish by him, visiting Cambridge in mid-90s when he was still a physicist, on Lévy flights ...
September 20, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Really interesting "Lunch with FT" featuring physicist turned hedge fund boss J-P Bouchaud.
I remember hearing a great talk at the Cavendish by him, visiting Cambridge in mid-90s when he was still a physicist, on Lévy flights ...
I remember hearing a great talk at the Cavendish by him, visiting Cambridge in mid-90s when he was still a physicist, on Lévy flights ...
Bit of a magical misty autumnal atmosphere in the birch woods & moors above Froggatt this morning
September 20, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Bit of a magical misty autumnal atmosphere in the birch woods & moors above Froggatt this morning
Interesting proposal to build advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool
A back to the future element to this - idea of a high temperature, gas cooled reactor with TRISO fuel (graphite + ceramic wrapped UO2 pellets) was developed in UK's Dragon demonstrator, closed in 1976.
www.ft.com/content/3999...
A back to the future element to this - idea of a high temperature, gas cooled reactor with TRISO fuel (graphite + ceramic wrapped UO2 pellets) was developed in UK's Dragon demonstrator, closed in 1976.
www.ft.com/content/3999...
Centrica backs £10bn plan for UK modular nuclear reactors
British gas owner and US partner X-energy to jointly develop 12 smaller reactors
www.ft.com
September 15, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Interesting proposal to build advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool
A back to the future element to this - idea of a high temperature, gas cooled reactor with TRISO fuel (graphite + ceramic wrapped UO2 pellets) was developed in UK's Dragon demonstrator, closed in 1976.
www.ft.com/content/3999...
A back to the future element to this - idea of a high temperature, gas cooled reactor with TRISO fuel (graphite + ceramic wrapped UO2 pellets) was developed in UK's Dragon demonstrator, closed in 1976.
www.ft.com/content/3999...
Disappointed not to be considered sinister enough to be named as a contributor to the Dept of Business & Trade's "Growth School" series of external speakers in this exposé.
Astonishingly, I've discovered, the Tufton Street junktanks that shaped Liz Truss's agenda are still operating at the heart of government. Remind me what we voted for again ...
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Warning! The rightwing junktanks behind the Tories’ worst disasters still have the keys to No 10 | George Monbiot
Who is running the government’s ‘growth school’ for civil servants? The answer surpassed my worst fears, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
September 11, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Disappointed not to be considered sinister enough to be named as a contributor to the Dept of Business & Trade's "Growth School" series of external speakers in this exposé.
Reposted by Richard Jones
Wisdom at its best here. Very much worth your time reading this. Also the word 'eschatology' is used!
There's a more general point here: not all parts of a given societal or economic problem will be equally susceptible to solution through AI - need to understand what the rate limiting steps are, to know whether AI will lead to big productivity increases
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
Productivity and artificial intelligence – Soft Machines
www.softmachines.org
September 10, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Wisdom at its best here. Very much worth your time reading this. Also the word 'eschatology' is used!
Good FT piece highlighting disappointing progress in AI driven drug discovery.
One lesson: finding new drug candidates isn't rate limiting step in developing effective new medicines, as much as lack of screening techniques and disease models that have good predictive power
www.ft.com/content/9a8a...
One lesson: finding new drug candidates isn't rate limiting step in developing effective new medicines, as much as lack of screening techniques and disease models that have good predictive power
www.ft.com/content/9a8a...
Why is AI struggling to discover new drugs?
A generation of start-ups have failed to live up to the hype. Executives are now betting that more powerful tools will crack the complexities of human biology
www.ft.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Good FT piece highlighting disappointing progress in AI driven drug discovery.
One lesson: finding new drug candidates isn't rate limiting step in developing effective new medicines, as much as lack of screening techniques and disease models that have good predictive power
www.ft.com/content/9a8a...
One lesson: finding new drug candidates isn't rate limiting step in developing effective new medicines, as much as lack of screening techniques and disease models that have good predictive power
www.ft.com/content/9a8a...
Reposted by Richard Jones
What makes a manufacturing superpower? Some reflections from me on Dan Wang's new book, "Breakneck: China's quest to engineer the future
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
What makes a manufacturing superpower? – Soft Machines
www.softmachines.org
September 7, 2025 at 7:39 PM
What makes a manufacturing superpower? Some reflections from me on Dan Wang's new book, "Breakneck: China's quest to engineer the future
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...
www.softmachines.org/wordpress/?p...