Purdy & Associates

Thought LeadershipEconomic ConsultingTechnology TrendsESGMacroeconomicsGeo-Political Risk

Our Services

In today’s crowded marketplace of ideas, thought leadership is about more than having a piece of research to market. It is about having ideas that stand out from the pack. Ideas that challenge and intrigue. Ideas that command attention, backed by solid evidence and examples. With extensive experience in writing for business and policy audiences, we can help you with the full suite of thought leadership capabilities, from original ideation to hypothesis development to writing.

We can advise your organization on a range of microeconomic and macro-economic issues, including emerging markets, globalization, and digital skills. Working with our partners, we can develop economic modelling to show the economic impact of different technologies, scenarios or policy options.

AI, virtual reality, robotics, digital twins, blockchain—new technologies are disrupting nearly every industry, changing how we consume and work, and creating new industry winners and losers. Machine learning is being used to sense and read emotions. 3-D printing is changing the nature of international trade and production. We can help you identify the key technology trends reshaping markets, competition and business models for your company.

A global pandemic. The China—US tech war. The climate emergency. Geo-political, social and economic risks loom large for all major corporations today. New risks are appearing on the horizon around technology, geo-security and privacy. We can help you assess the impact of these risks on your business and create zero-based scenarios to build greater resilience in your ability to anticipate and respond to shocks.

There is now a large body of research showing that companies that perform well on ESG factors tend to be rewarded with better financial performance and stock market valuations. However, many companies struggle to navigate the maze of different ESG reporting standards and guidelines. Moves are afoot at EU and international level for greater quantification and regulation. We can help your company to map and navigate the evolving ESG landscape.

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

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See our latest thought leadership

Generative AI
Sensory AI
  • Prompt Economy

The rise of the prompt economy

August 2, 2023|Generative AI|

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

Sound Business: The promise of audio machine learning technologies.

September 28, 2023|Sensory AI|

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

Business Scents: the rise of digital olfaction

May 3, 2021|Sensory AI|

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

Building a great customer experience in the metaverse

April 3, 2023|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?

Can the metaverse revive post-pandemic globalization?

August 3, 2022|Metaverse|

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

How the Metaverse could change work

April 5, 2022|Metaverse|

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

The future of contactless commerce

November 22, 2021|Metaverse|

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
ESG
AI & Innovation
  • esg

Opinium collaboration

June 27, 2023|ESG|

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.

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:

Our thought leadership also addresses the wider societal and geo-political aspects of new technologies, including:

Technologies

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