In response to shifting global trade patterns, evolving economic relationships, and persistently weak productivity levels, McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy is launching the McGill Growth Lab. Dedicated to applied growth analysis and policy solutions, the Lab will develop practical, implementation-ready policy solutions tailored to Canada’s institutional and economic context.
The McGill Growth Lab builds on the internationally recognized Harvard Growth Lab model pioneered at the Kennedy School of Government under the leadership of Professor Ricardo Hausmann. The approach combines systematic diagnostics to identify constraints on economic growth; advanced tools and data to assess economic complexity, diversification and resilience; close collaboration with government partners to ensure relevance and policy uptake; and integration of research, training, and applied project work.
Over the past decade, the Growth Lab model has informed research and policy engagement across a wide range of countries, cities and regions, as well as collaborations with partner institutions including the London School of Economics’ School of Public Policy, the Central European University, and the School of Government and Public Transformation at Tecnologico de Monterrey. Two frameworks developed at Harvard, namely the Growth Diagnostics approach and the Economic Complexity paradigm, will form the foundation of the McGill Growth Lab's research agenda.
Established in 2017, the Max Bell School of Public Policy has built a reputation for rigorous, policy-engaged research and for training future public-sector leaders. The McGill Growth Lab builds on this foundation, bringing a dedicated focus on economic growth, diversification and productivity to the School’s research and policy engagement.
“Drawing on the School’s faculty expertise and working in partnership with Harvard’s Growth Lab, we will help governments identify barriers to growth, develop evidence-based policies, and equip current and future policy analysts with the tools to advance innovation and sustainable economic growth," said Jennifer Welsh, Director of the Max Bell School. "The McGill Growth Lab will strengthen Canada’s economic policy ecosystem by connecting rigorous research with practical policy solutions.”
Economist Clément Brenot has been appointed the McGill Growth Lab’s inaugural director.
Brenot’s work bridges economic research and policy advice, helping governments in Canada and internationally pursue stronger, greener and more resilient growth.
“Clément brings a strong combination of economic research expertise, policy experience and international networks to the McGill Growth Lab,” said Welsh. “His leadership will help us build the Lab’s research and government partnerships and contribute to a global network of institutions working to advance sustainable economic growth.”
Before joining McGill, Brenot was a senior research manager at the Harvard Growth Lab, where he led economic policy research engagements in advanced and emerging economies. In this role, he worked closely with Professor Ricardo Hausmann and faculty from Harvard and partner institutions. He previously spent nearly a decade at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), contributing to policy projects across Europe, Turkey and Asia.
Brenot’s research focuses on economic growth and its drivers, including growth diagnostics in advanced, resource-rich and middle-income economies; macroeconomic policy; economic diversification and green industrial policy; innovation, AI and robotics; place-based growth strategies; and the political economy and implementation of economic reforms.
At the McGill Growth Lab, Brenot will draw on two established analytical frameworks developed through Harvard’s Growth Lab. Growth Diagnostics identifies reforms rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all agenda. Economic Complexity which measures the productive capabilities accumulated by a country and maps potential pathways to diversification. the diversification paths they open.
“Intellectual, financial and political resources are finite. We need a systematic way to identify which policy actions are most likely to unlock stronger, more inclusive and greener economic growth in a given place,” says Brenot. “At the McGill Growth Lab, we aim to help governments across Canada design and implement more effective growth policies.”
Learn more about the McGill Growth Lab on our website.
