Economics and technology are now inextricably linked, from the surge in market share held by ‘gig economy’ platforms to the internet’s increasing penetration of rural labour markets. At best, this link can lead to development and brings the world’s economies closer together. At worst, it amplifies labour exploitation and reinforces capitalism’s existing inequalities.

At the OII, our researchers address these opportunities and risks with the harnessing technology towards a better, fairer economy. They do so not only through more conventional economic methodologies, but also through applying the lenses of other disciplines, like geography, sociology, and data science, to economic problems. Programmes such as Fairwork and Data Financing for Global Good ask just how the digital economy works, while others, like Economic Geographies of the Darknet and the Oxford Martin Programme on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, investigate its hidden side.