Our Services
Our Approach
At the heart of Purdy & Associates is our deep understanding of how technology and economics intertwine. New technologies such as machine learning, digital twins and virtual reality are changing how we work, consume, produce, and innovate—the very essence of economics. International trade is being revolutionised by technologies such as blockchain and 3-D printing. New winners and losers are being created, leading to problems of digital exclusion and potential new social harms. At the same time economics is shaping the evolution of technology, for example through the growing competition between nations for control of data and 5-G technology. We aim to shine a light on these developments.
Another hallmark of our approach is our focus on thought leadership. We believe that research is most impactful when it is well written and accessible, and backed by powerful evidence and stories. Our experience of writing for a broad range of business and economic publications helps us identify which kinds of messages and evidence are most likely to resonate with a wider audience of readers and decision makers.
ESG – A Look Ahead
ESG: Looking Back and Looking Forward
ESG: Looking Back and Looking Forward We’ve come a long way since Milton Friedman’s famous doctrine, first elaborated in a 1971 New York Times article, [...]
See our latest thought leadership
Generative AI
Sensory AI
How AI Can Help Leaders Make Better Decisions Under Pressure
In this HBR.org piece, A. Mark Williams and Mark Purdy look at how AI systems are increasingly being called upon to help managers make better decisions under pressure.
The rise of the prompt economy
This op-ed by Mark Purdy in The Straits Times discusses how the explosion in generative AI technologies is giving rise to a prompt economy that could significantly reshape global economic competition in the years ahead.
Sound Business: The promise of audio machine learning technologies.
In this Sloan Management Review piece, we explore how AI-powered sound recognition technologies are now being used to detect and analyse a wide range of sounds to address business and societal issues, in industries as diverse as healthcare, security, retail, and entertainment.
Business Scents: the rise of digital olfaction
In “Business Scents: the rise of digital olfaction”, we explore the emergence of digital olfaction technologies and the opportunities they create for businesses in sectors as diverse as retailing, manufacturing, healthcare, and entertainment.
Metaverse
Building a great customer experience in the metaverse
3-D ocean cruises, digital twins of historic cities, AI-powered customer avatars–these are just some of the ways in which the metaverse is set to reinvent the customer experience. This HBR.org article explores how companies are using the metaverse to drive new, immersive forms of product discovery and fuse physical and virtual customer experiences.
Can the metaverse revive post-pandemic globalization?
In The View op-ed piece in The South China Morning Post, Mark Purdy argues that the metaverse could help revive global trade through more efficient and streamlined supply chains, better R&D collaboration, and enhanced consumer involvement in production.
How the Metaverse could change work
HBR.org article examining the implications of the metaverse for the future of work in four key areas: the rise of virtual workplaces; fast learning; the use of AI-powered digital colleagues; and the creation of completely new metaverse roles and jobs.
The future of contactless commerce
Magic mirrors and 3-D avatars for trying on clothes. Touchless “touchscreens” for ordering goods and services. Lickable electronic screens that electronically transmit taste sensations. AI-powered fashion whisperers…. In this Harvard Business Review article, we peer into the future of contactless commerce and explore what it holds “in store” for retailers and consumers.
Technology and geo-strategic competition
AI data bonanza will intensify geo-strategic competition
In this op-ed piece for The Straits Times, Mark Purdy assesses the implications of three new types of AI data–geospatial, AI, and social media–for geo-strategic rivalry and competition between nations.
The Forces driving new wave of techno-nationalism
Op-ed by Mark Purdy in The Straits Times.
ESG
AI & Innovation
Opinium collaboration
For the past three years, Purdy & Associates, in collaboration with Opinium, has written the Annual Index Industry Association reports on ESG. Based on a survey of 300 fund managers in Europe and the US, the studies provide a unique insight into how this influential cohort is viewing ESG investment trends.
Driving better insights for ESG decision makers
(report for DXC Technology, Leading Edge
Forum)
How machine learning can accelerate solutions to society’s big problems
Machine learning can accelerate breakthrough advances in fields as diverse as energy, medicine, and urban planning.
How Digital Twins Are Reinventing Innovation
From faster and cheaper drug trials to fully “conscious” cities, digital replicas are changing the face and pace of innovation.
Thought Leadership in Latest Technologies
Next-wave technologies—AI, robotics, 3-D printing, blockchain, augmented reality, to name a few—are transforming nearly every aspect of how we live, work, produce and consume. Our thought leadership examines cutting-edge issues such as:
- The role of AI in understanding consumer emotions
- How digital twins can accelerate innovation in organizations
- The use of swarm intelligence to balance global and local
- How developments in machine discovery can help solve some of society’s biggest challenges in health and the environment (forthcoming)
- How AI can drive faster economic growth
Our thought leadership also addresses the wider societal and geo-political aspects of new technologies, including:
- The effects of AI systems on equality and bias.
- The forces driving the new wave of techno-nationalism, as technology intersects with trade and geo-politics. Op-ed in Straits Times
