Growth in mature economies: The second CEPR-Modena conference

The second CEPR-Modena Conference on Growth in Mature Economies was held on 7-8 November 2013, the second in a series of events focusing on growth in mature economies. The inspiration for this conference series came from Lucrezia Reichlin, Professor of Economics at the London Business School and former CEPR Research Director, who sought to bring together researchers to discuss a key policy issue: how to stimulate growth in mature economies, those that cannot move closer to the technology frontier nor add more capital. The protraction of the Eurozone crisis, ageing populations and a shift in world trade balances make this a crucial research avenue in the long run as well as having more immediate policy implications. This report addresses a wide range of issues, from labourmarket reforms to China’s growth miracle. The Center for Economic Research (RECent) at the University of Modena Reggio Emilia has played a decisive role in the production of this report and conference series. We are indebted to them and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena, for their generous fi nancial support that made the conference possible. We are grateful to Kevin Hjortshøj O’Rourke and Isabella Rota Baldini for their great efforts in producing this report from the output of the conference, and to Kevin, Lucrezia Reichlin and Graziella Bertocchi for organising the conference itself. And as ever, we also thank Charlie Anderson for his typical skill and speed in producing the report.