Raising NI’s productivity: Better outcomes for people, firms and places

This event will showcase the latest research on productivity in Northern Ireland, and how the challenge of raising productivity is being met by business and policy.

It is being hosted by the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum at Queen’s Business School, in conjunction with the Department for the Economy.

It is part of a series of events being run for The Productivity Institute’s National Productivity Week 2026.

Our event will bring together stakeholders from across business, policy, research, and regional partners. It will include:

• An opening address by Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Minister for the Department for the Economy.
• A keynote address from Professor Bart van Ark, Managing Director of the Productivity Institute.

Presentations focusing on how practice can be informed by new productivity related research:

• The launch of a new report by the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum, exploring how AI adoption might shape Northern Ireland’s productivity.
• What the Working in Ireland Survey can tell us about the world of work across the island.

A panel discussion on the topic of ‘What are we doing to deliver progress?’, with panellists from across policy, delivery partners, business, and trade unions, followed by a Q&A with attendees.

The event will be held in-person in the Isdell Courtyard, Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road Belfast BT9 5EE, on Wednesday 29th April 2026

8.30am-9.00am: Registration/Tea & Coffee

9.00am-9.05am: Welcome by Professor M. N. Ravishankar, Dean and Head of Queen's Business School

9.05am-9.20am: Opening address by Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Minister for the Department for the Economy

9.20am-9.50am: Keynote by Professor Bart van Ark, Managing Director of The Productivity Institute

9.50am-11.05am: What does the productivity research tell us? Research presentations with Q&A chaired by Professor John Turner, Director of Research at Queen’s Business School

11.05am-11.30am: Break/Tea & Coffee

11.30am-12.30pm: What are we doing to deliver progress? Panel discussion with Q&A chaired by Professor of Practice Julie McCandless, Director of Business Engagement at Queen’s Business School

12.30pm-1.00pm: Lunch

1.00pm: Event close

For more information about this event, please email Seán McDonald [email protected]

National Productivity Week is a nationwide initiative dedicated to improving outcomes for people, firms and places across the UK. This national campaign brings together leading researchers, policy thinkers, industry partners and regional voices to kick off a week of new report launches, debate and knowledge‑sharing.

This year’s overarching theme for National Productivity Week, “Better outcomes for people, firms and places,” reflects The Productivity Institute’s mission to ensure that productivity improvements translate into real benefits: higher living standards, better‑quality jobs, stronger business performance and more prosperous local economies.

The Northern Ireland Productivity Forum is based at Queen’s Business School, and is one of The Productivity Institute’s nine regional forums across the UK. It brings together representatives from the region’s key sectors, including manufacturing and technology as well as from the public sector and academia, to better understand the drivers of productivity.

To read more about the Forum’s work, please visit: https://www.productivity.ac.uk/regions-nations/northern-ireland-regional-forum/

If you would like to find out more about National Productivity Week, please visit: https://www.productivityweek.co.uk

To learn more about the work of The Productivity Institute, please visit: https://www.productivity.ac.uk

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