Andrew Paterson

Andrew Paterson is Senior Counsellor at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities and editor-in-chief of the COGITO blog site. Prior to joining the OECD, he was a senior civil servant in the UK Government where he led the UK Business Productivity Review, identified new emerging technological strengths as a focus for the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and developed the UK’s approach to “levelling up” through local growth. In previous roles he led the UK Government’s Housing, Planning and Local Growth analysis, economic and financial reforms in Britain’s Overseas Territories from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and neighbourhood renewal and regeneration policy from the UK Treasury. Andrew holds a Masters in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Rising from the rubble: How Turkish regions can rebuild and recover

11 April 2023 Andrew Paterson

In February 2023, two earthquakes tore through southern Türkiye and northern Syria, tragically claiming over 45,000 lives, reducing homes and infrastructure to ruins and leaving 3.3 million displaced. How can the affected regions regroup and rebuild?

Are rates hikes raising regional inequality?

10 February 2023 Andrew Paterson

Across the world, policy interest rates have been steadily increasing over the past year for the first time in a long time. In the UK, the last time Bank Rate increased by 3 percentage points in a single calendar year. But what do rising interest rates mean for places?

Is tourism turning the tide?

08 December 2022 Andrew Paterson

After six decades of consistent growth, the unprecedented shock of the global COVID-19 pandemic saw tourism come to a near complete standstill. Two years on, there’s still huge uncertainty for the tourism sector. What lies in store for tourism in 2023 and beyond?

Worn out: COVID-19, Women and the Great Exhaustion

19 July 2022 Andrew Paterson

It’s been a tough two years for women. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, women were hit harder by job losses, leading many to call it a “she-cession”. But as the pandemic worse on we started to see wider impacts too.

The great resignation: The reaction in places

14 June 2022 Andrew Paterson

In March 2022, a record 4.5 million US workers quit their jobs. Workers were already voting with their feet before the pandemic but recently many more have been heading for the exit. A Great Resignation is underway.