Core Productivity Drivers and Diagnostics

Productivity, innovation adoption and standard of living are intrinsically linked. Due to lagging productivity for almost 50 years, Canada’s standard of living has dramatically declined — a trend felt by individuals, communities and businesses across the country.

The inaugural lecture of The Canadian Standard of Living, Productivity and Innovation series will be presented by renowned economist Ricardo Hausmann, founder and director of the Growth Lab at Harvard Kennedy School. He will examine how emerging forces including new technologies, alongside enduring factors such as natural resources, are reshaping productivity, prosperity and Canada’s economic trajectory.

This hybrid event will offer practical insights, networking opportunities and actionable ideas for improving Canada's productivity and prosperity. Attendees will benefit from Ricardo’s expert perspective during the one-hour lecture, followed by a discussion with Vass Bednar and closing remarks from Savvas Chamberlain.

In-person attendees are invited to arrive at 5:00 p.m. for networking and refreshments. The lecture will begin promptly at 5:45 p.m. for online and in-person attendees.

The Canadian Standard of Living, Productivity and Innovation lecture series, sponsored by Savvas Chamberlain and presented by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), brings together CEOs, financiers, manufacturers, policy makers and influencers, empowering them to champion the adoption of innovation — a critical step in reversing Canada’s productivity decline.

Each lecture will feature a keynote presentation from a distinguished global or Canadian speaker, followed by a forward-looking discussion focused on practical pathways for change, highlighting how individual, institutional and policy choices can shape Canada’s long-term economic performance and prosperity.

Ricardo Hausmann

Ricardo Hausmann is the founder and director of Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. Under his leadership, the Growth Lab has become one of the most well regarded and influential hubs for research on economic growth and development worldwide.

Since launching the Growth Lab in 2006, Ricardo has served as principal investigator for more than 50 research initiatives in 30 countries, including the United States. His work has informed development policy, growth strategies and diversification agendas at the national, regional and city levels.

Savvas Chamberlain

Savvas Chamberlain, C.M.,FRSC, is a renowned physicist, inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist whose work helped shape Canada’s digital imaging industry. A distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo, he pioneered advances in MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) and CCD (charge-coupled device) technology and invented key silicon image sensors that established Canada’s leadership in digital imaging. He founded and led DALSA Corporation and is founder and CEO of EXEL Research Inc. He is a member of the Order of Canada and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Vass Bednar

Vass Bednar is a CIGI senior fellow working at the intersection of technology and public policy as the managing director of the Canadian SHIELD Institute.

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