Philippe Aghion Keynote Speaker

Philippe Aghion is a Nobel Prize-winning French economist shaping global thinking on innovation-driven growth today.

Chair of Economics of Institutions, Innovation and Growth at the Collège de France, Kurt Björklund Chaired Professor in Innovation and Growth at INSEAD, and visiting professor at the London School of Economics, he stands at the centre of global debates on productivity, competition and the future of capitalism.

Best known for the Aghion–Howitt model of endogenous growth and the modern Schumpeterian theory of “creative destruction”, Aghion shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences with Peter Howitt and Joel Mokyr for explaining how innovation and technological turnover sustain long-term prosperity. His research has influenced policy on industrial competition, education, inequality and climate, and underpins how governments design institutions that support openness, social mobility and inclusive growth.

Aghion’s books, including Endogenous Growth Theory, The Economics of Growth and the widely read The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations (2021), translate sophisticated models into clear, actionable frameworks for business and policy audiences. His recent work tackles the transition to green technologies, the role of soft skills in wage growth, and the economic impact of automation and artificial intelligence.

Alongside his academic career, Aghion has advised governments and international organisations on innovation, industrial strategy and climate policy, and cochaired France’s Artificial Intelligence Commission (2023–24). Honoured with the Yrjö Jahnsson Award, the John von Neumann Award and the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, he brings exceptional authority and a global perspective to every engagement. As a keynote speaker, he equips leaders with evidence-based insight into how to harness creative destruction, manage disruption and build resilient, opportunity-rich economies.