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The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast
The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast
Latest episode

28 episodes

  • The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

    S3 E8: Space Race, Cold War, and Public R&D Policies with Alex Whalley from the University of Calgary

    30/07/2026 | 32 mins.
    In this episode, our guest is Alexander T. Whalley from the University of Calgary and we talked about his academic journey, paper suggestions, large public R&D policies, space race, and more!
    Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen on X)

    01:35 Big Picture Questions and Alex’s Academic Journey 
    03:35 A Research Habit Recommendation
    05:01 A “Must-Read” Paper Suggestion (Enrico Moretti: https://moretti.econ.berkeley.edu ) 
    06:40 Returns to Public R&D: Space Race and Cold War 
    13:15 CIA Data: Is it Accessible? 
    15:39 How Should We Understand the “No Productivity Effects”? 
    18:30 Should Governments Implement More Mission-Focus R&D Policies? 22:01 Surprising Moments from the “Moonshot” Paper
    23:00 Geography of Innovation 
    25:56 Gaps in the Literature 
    27:38 Cheezy Questions & Never Have I Ever!

    Papers Mentioned:
    Moonshot: Public R&D and Growth
    150 Years of the Geography of Innovation
  • The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

    S3 E7: Industrialization, Diffusion of Technology, and Meiji Japan with Réka Juhász (British Columbia)

    25/06/2026 | 34 mins.
    In this episode, our guest is Reka Juhasz from the University of British Columbia and we talked about her academic journey, favorite books and papers in economics, why some countries could successfully industrialize while others failed, what made Meiji Japan special, and more!

    06:58 Why could some countries industrialize more successfully than others? 
    09:55 What specifically happened in Meiji Japan in the 19th century?
    20:10 What is the main message of this QJE paper?
    23:00 Industrial Policy and Political Agendas
    28:25 Cheezy Questions and Never Have I Ever!

    Papers/Books mentioned in the episode:
    Codification, Technology Absorption, and the Globalization of the Industrial Revolution: https://www.nber.org/papers/w32667

    The Rise of "the Rest": https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-rise-of-the-rest-9780195170597?cc=gb&lang=en&

    The Wind of Change: Maritime Technology, Trade, and Economic Development: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20140832
  • The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

    S3 E6: Scientific Production, International Collaborations, and WW1 with Fabian Waldinger (University of Munich)

    29/04/2026 | 40 mins.
    In this episode, our guest is Fabian Waldinger (University of Munich) and we talked about his research interests, scientific production and boycotts in the World War 1 era, women in academia, the role of socio-economic background on academic success, and more! Enjoy!

    0:52 What is the main question that he is after? 
    01:29 What drew him into his research areas? 
    03:21 Who were his role models?
    04:14 Which paper in economics is his favorite? 
     05:47 International Scientific Production, WW1 and Boycotts
    22:16 What are the implications of “International Collaboration in Science” for today? 
    24:07 Data comes first or the question? What is Fabian’s production function? 
    26:05 Women in Academia throughout the 20th Century
    28:55 Socio-economic background and the Success Likelihood of being in Academia
    36:00 Cheezy Questions & Never Have I Ever!
  • The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

    S3 E5: Gender Inequality and Child Penalty with Camille Landais (LSE)

    27/03/2026 | 37 mins.
    In this episode, our guest is Camille Landais (@landais_camille on X) from the London School of Economics and we talk about his academic journey, interests in family economics, policy making versus academia, the relationship between gender inequality and child penalty, and more!

    Enjoy!

    Host: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen on X)

    Intro: His Academic Journey and Interests on Gender Inequality & Family Economics
    05:58 Academia or Policy Making?
    08:05 Gender Inequality and Having Children 
    14:49 What are the channels or mechanisms?
    17:28 Child Penalty is Larger in Developed Economies: childpenaltyatlas.org
    23:52 Do Welfare Policies Work? What are Camille’s Family Policy Suggestions?
    29:01 Cheezy Questions!
  • The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast

    S3 E4: Product vs Process Innovations, Firm Growth, and Political Connections with Salomé Baslandze (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta)

    25/02/2026 | 40 mins.
    In this episode, our guest is Salomé Baslandze from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and we talked about her academic journey, influential economists in her career, new data on product vs process innovations, firm growth, political connections, policy suggestions, and more!

    Host: Ruveyda Nur Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen on X)

    1:04 Her Academic Journey
    4:52 Comparison between Academia and Policy Institutions
    7:40 The "AI" Heat on Academia
    22:57 Why do economists use theoretical models? 
    29:50 The Role of Competition Authorities
    32:56 Research Gaps in the Literature
    36:00 Cheezy Questions!
    38:03 Never Have I Ever!
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About The Innovation and Diffusion Podcast
Our podcast aims to generate easily accessible and engaging academic discussions on innovation and diffusion. We interview the leading thinkers around the world on new technologies and the way they change our world and economy. Hosts: Ruveyda Gozen (@ruveyda_gozen) and John Van Reenen (@johnvanreenen) The Economic and Social Research Council funds this podcast through the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion (POID) at LSE.
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