Productivity Dialogue

On March 6, 2025 the Latvian Productivity Board and the Productivity Research Institute of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Latvia (UL) – “UL Think Tank LV PEAK” – in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Ministry of Economics, organized the annual conference “Productivity Dialogue”.

The event was held to present and explain the findings of the “Latvia’s 2024 Productivity Report” to a broad range of stakeholders and to discuss current issues related to productivity and competitiveness. The report analyzes productivity factors and dynamics, defines key challenges, and provides recommendations for policymakers.

The conference was opened by Professor Gundars Bērziņš, Chair of the Latvian Productivity Board and Rector of the University of Latvia; Andris Kužnieks, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia; and Viktors Valainis, Minister for Economics. Keynote speeches were delivered by Professor Antonin Bergeaud from the Department of Economics and Decision Sciences at HEC Paris, and Professor Inna Šteinbuka, Director of the UL Think Tank LV PEAK.

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring experts from the Ministry of Finance, the Finance Latvia Association, the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia, the Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia, the Latvian Exporters Association "The Red Jackets", the Latvian Productivity Board, and the UL Think Tank LV PEAK.

Event Programme

Presentations:

• Prof. Inna Šteinbuka, Director of UL Think Tank LV PEAK | Presentation of the “Latvia’s 2024 Productivity Report”

• Prof. Antonin Bergeaud, HEC Paris | The Past, Present and Future of European Productivity

On February 15, 2024 the Latvian Productivity Board and the Productivity Research Institute of the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics at the University of Latvia (UL) – “UL Think Tank LV PEAK”, in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Ministry of Education and Science, organized the annual conference “Productivity Dialogue”.

The event was held in a hybrid format, offering both in-person attendance and live streaming via the websites of the University of Latvia and the Ministry of Education and Science, on LSM.lv, the national TV broadcast channel TV4, as well as on the Facebook pages of the UL Faculty of Business, Management and Economics and the Ministry of Education and Science.

The aim of the Dialogue was to present the Latvia’s 2023 Productivity Report and discuss current issues related to productivity and competitiveness.

The conference was opened by Professor Gundars Bērziņš, Chair of the Latvian Productivity Board and Dean of the University of Latvia’s Faculty of Business, Management and Economics. Opening addresses were delivered by Anda Čakša, Minister for Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, and Viktors Valainis, Minister for Economics of the Republic of Latvia. The keynote speech was delivered by Géraldine Mahieu, Director for Investment, Growth and Structural Reforms at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN).

The event featured two roundtable discussions:

• “Will and how can productivity growth ensure faster development and improved well-being?”

• “Recommendations from scientists and experts to boost competitiveness”

Participants in the discussions included experts from the Ministry of Economics, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the Latvian Productivity Board, the UL Think Tank LV PEAK, Citadele Bank, the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK), and the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK).

Programme of the “Productivity Dialogue” Conference

Presentations:

• Prof. Inna Šteinbuka, Director of the Scientific Institute for Productivity “UL Think Tank LV PEAK” | Presentation of the “Latvia’s 2023 Productivity Report”

• Géraldine Mahieu, Director for Investment, Growth and Structural Reforms, EC DG ECFIN | The EU’s competitiveness and the role of NPBs

The conference “Productivity Dialogue - 2021” organised by the Latvian Productivity Board and the Productivity Research Institute of the University of Latvia “UL Think tank LV PEAK” took place on December 2, 2021. Its live broadcast was available on the news portal TVNET and on the Facebook page of the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics of the University of Latvia.

The conference, which was attended by Latvia's leading researchers, politicians, representatives of non-governmental organizations and entrepreneurs, presented the draft Annual Productivity Report and addressed the challenges related to the pandemic, including the challenges of teleworkingr and the labor market. The main recent research in the field of productivity was discussed, as well as what lessons were learned to maintain productivity during the pandemic and in what directions to work in the future to ensure productivity growth. The conference was moderated by prof. Inna Steinbuka, director of the Productivity Research Institute of the University of Latvia “UL Think tank LV PEAK”.

"Productivity Dialogue - 2021" Programme

Presentations:

Prof. Gundars Bērziņš

Prof. Inna Šteinbuka

Massimo Suardi

Dr. Oļegs Barānovs

Prof. Jurs Binde

Dr. Oļesa Krasnopjorovs

Līga Meņģelsone

Jānis Endziņš

Prof. Jānis Priede​​​​​​​

Video of the conference: https://fb.watch/9FtNnzndNd/