Profile

I am Professor of Economics of the Creative Industries and Director of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC), which is led by Newcastle University with the RSA, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The Creative PEC is charged with improving the evidence base for policies to support the UK’s creative industries.

Prior to joining Newcastle University in 2023, I was Executive Director, Creative Economy and Data Analytics at the innovation foundation, Nesta. In the earlier part of my career I worked as Executive Director, Global Economics at Lehman Brothers, Deputy Chief Economist at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as an economist at the Bank of England.

I have a BA in Economics from Cambridge University and an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford. In 2013, I was awarded an honorary Doctorate from the University of Brighton for my work on economic policy for the creative industries. In the 2015 New Year’s Honours I was awarded an MBE for services to the creative industries.

In my non-academic work, I am a founder member of the government’s Creative Industries Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Advisory Board for its Culture and Heritage Capital Framework. I was elected as member of the Royal Economic Society Council from 2017-2022. I have been trustee of several arts organisations over the years, including Culture 24, The Creative Society and Darbar Arts. I currently serve on the board of Art UK.

Research

My current research focus is the economics of the creative and cultural industries, including R&D and innovation, technological change and labour markets. Cutting across all these topics is a keen interest in quantitative data and measurement. I have a particular interest in using novel data sources and data analysis methodologies. 

Selected publications

I have published widely in academic journals and policy publications on topics ranging from technological progress and inflation dynamics to the economics of the creative and cultural sector.

 

Bakhshi, H, Siepel, J, Carmona, L and Tarr, A, 2025, “Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the finance gap in the creative industries”, Creative PEC and Creative UK

Bakhshi, H, Michel, R and Bezzano, M, 2024, “Measuring the Economic Value of Digital Culture: A Case Study of the Art UK Platform”, Department for Culture, Media & Sport

Bakhshi, H et. al., 2023, “The State of Creativity: Policy, Research, Industry”, Creative PEC

Bakhshi, H, and Puttick, R, 2022, “A note on international comparisons of R&D Tax Credit programmes, the inclusion of the humanities and social sciences, and the policy implications”, Journal of the British Academy, Volume 10

Bakhshi, H, Di Novo, S and Fazio, G, 2022, “The ‘Great Lockdown’ and cultural consumption in the UK”, Journal of Cultural Economics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-022-09463-6

Bakhshi, H and Maggs, D,  2022, “Beyond instrumentalism”, in The Next Renaissance, Odile Jacob

Bakhshi, H, 2022, “The Art of R&D: Why bringing R&D in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences within the scope of R&D tax relief would boost innovation in the UK’s creative industries”, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Research Report

Johannes, N, Dienlin, T, Bakhshi, H and Przybylski, A, 2022, “No effects of different types of media on wellbeing”, Scientific Reports, 12(1)

Siepel, J, Bakhshi, H, Bloom, M and Velez-Ospina, J, 2022, “Understanding Createch R&D”, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Research Report

Bakhshi, H, Breckon, J and Puttick, R, 2021, “Understanding R&D in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences”, Journal of the British Academy, Volume 9

Bakhshi, H, 2021, “How can we measure the creative economy? The Cunningham Project”, Media International Australia, 182(1): 21-27

Lawton, R, Fujiwara, D, Mourato, S and Bakhshi, H, 2021, “The economic value of heritage in England: a benefit transfer study”, City, Culture and Society, 26(2)

Bakhshi, H, 2020, “Measuring the creative economy”, in Bille, T., Mignosa, A. and Towse, R. Teaching Cultural Economics, Edward Elgar

Bakhshi, H, 2020, “Measuring the Creative Economy: A Guide for Policymakers”, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Discussion Paper 2020/01

Lawton, R, Mourato, S, Fujiwara, D and Bakhshi, H, 2019, “Comparing the effect of oath commitments and cheap talk entreaties in contingent valuation surveys: a randomised field experiment”, Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Volume 9:338-354

Bakhshi, H, 2019, “The creative industries and industrial policy: The UK case”, in Cunningham, S. and Flew, T, A Research Agenda for the Creative Industries, Edward Elgar

Bakhshi, H, Djumalieva, J and Easton, E, “The creative-digital skills revolution”, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Research Report

Bakhshi, H and Spilsbury, M, “The migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK”, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Research Report

Borowiecki, K. and Bakhshi, H, 2018, “Did you really take a hit? Understanding how video games playing affects individuals”, Research in Economics, 72(2): 313-326

Bakhshi, H., Flew, T., Hearn, G and Stewart, C., 2018, “Nesta and the Evolving Creative Industries Policy Agenda in the UK and Australia”, Journal of Creative Industries and Cultural Studies, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 30-45.

Lima, A, and Bakhshi, H, 2018, “Classifying occupations using web-based job advertisements: an application to STEM and creative occupations”, ESCoE Discussion paper 2018-08

Bakhshi, H, Downing, J, Osborne, M and Schneider, P, 2017, “The future of skills: employment in 2030”, London: Nesta and Pearson

Bakhshi, H, 2016, “How can we measure the modern digital economy?”, Significance 13(3)

Bakhshi, H, Fujiwara, D, Lawton, R, Mourato, S and Dolan, 2015, “Measuring Economic Value in Cultural Institutions”, Arts and Humanities Research Council

Bakhshi, H, Frey, C B and Osborne, M 2015, “Creativity Vs Robots: The Creative Economy and the Future of Employment”, Nesta Research Report

Bakhshi, H, Edwards, J, Roper, S, Scully, J, Shaw, D, Morley, L and Rathbone, N, 2015, “Creative Credits: A Randomized Controlled Industrial Policy Experiment”, Research Policy 44(8): 1462-1472

Bakhshi, H, Davies, J and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2015, “The Net Effect: Using Social Media Data To Understand The Impact Of A Conference On Social Networks”, Nesta Research Report

Bakhshi, H, Schneider, P, Soendermann, J and Whitby, A, 2015, ”Found In Translation: How Social Media Platforms Can Help UK Publishers Understand Their Market In China”, Nesta Research Report

Mateos-Garcia, J, Bakhshi, H and Windsor, G, 2015, “Skills of the datavores: talent and the data revolution”, Nesta Research Report

Bakhshi, H, Mateos-Garcia, J and Whitby, A, 2014, “Model Workers: How Leading Companies are Managing and Recruiting Their Data Talent”, Nesta Research Report

Bakhshi, H and Whitby, A, 2014, “Estimating the Impact of Live Simulcast on Theatre Attendance: An Application to London’s National Theatre”, Nesta Working Paper 14/04

Bakhshi, H and Throsby, D, 2014, “Digital complements or substitutes? A quasi-field experiment from the Royal National Theatre”, Journal of Cultural Economics 38(1): 1-8

Bakhshi, H, 2014, “Wellbeing and Policy: Policy Review”, Cultural Trends, Vol 23 (4): 304-307

Bakhshi, H and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2014, “Inside the datavores: estimating the effects of data and online analytics on firm performance”, Nesta: London

Bakhshi, H, Lee, N and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2013, “Capital of Culture? An Econometric Analysis of the Relationship between Arts and Cultural Clusters, Wages, and the Creative Economy in English Cities”, in Creative Communities: Art Works in Economic Development, Brookings Institution

Bakhshi, H, Cunningham, S and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2013, “Public policy and the creative industries” in Jones, C., Lorenzen, M. and Sapsed, J. The Oxford Handbook of Creative Industries, Oxford University Press

Bakhshi, H, Hargreaves, I and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2013, “A Manifesto for the Creative Economy”, Nesta

Bakhshi, H, Freeman, A and Higgs, P, 2013, “A Dynamic Mapping of the UK’s Creative Industries”, Nesta Research Report

Westlake, S, Macaulay, B, Gratzke, P, Bravo-Biosca, A and Bakhshi, H, 2012, “The Innovation Index: Measuring the UK’s Investment in Innovation and its Effects”, in Cooke, P, Parrilli, M and Curbelo, J Innovation, Global Change and Territorial Resilience, Edward Elgar

Bakhshi, H and Schneider, P 2012, “Crossing the River by Searching for Stones: a new approach to exporting creative content to China?”, Nesta Research Report

Bakhshi, H and Throsby, D, 2012, “New technologies in cultural institutions: theory, evidence and policy implications”, International Journal of Cultural Policy, 18(2): 205-222

Bakhshi, H, Freeman, A and Potts, J, 2011, “State of Uncertainty: Innovation policy through experimentation”, NESTA Provocation 14

Bakhshi, H and Mateos-Garcia, J, 2011, “Next Gen: Transforming the UK in to the world’s leading talent hub for the video games and visual effects industries, Livingstone-Hope Review”, NESTA

Bakhshi, H and Throsby, D, 2010, “Culture of Innovation: An Economic Analysis of Innovation in Arts and Cultural Organisations”, NESTA

Bakhshi, H, Mateos-Garcia, J and Throsby, D, 2010, “Beyond Live: Digital Innovation in the Performing Arts”, NESTA: London

Bakhshi, H, Schneider, P and Walker, C, 2009, “Arts and Humanities Research in the Innovation System: The UK Example”, Cultural Science, Vol 2, No 1

Bakhshi, H, Desai, R and Freeman, A, 2009, “Not Rocket Science: A Roadmap for Arts and Cultural R&D”, Mission, Models, Money: London

Bakhshi, H and McVittie, E, 2009, “Creative supply chain linkages and business innovation”, Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, Volume 11(2): 169-189

Bakhshi, H, Freeman, A and Hitchen, G, 2009, “Measuring intrinsic value”, Mission, Models, Money: London

Bakhshi, H, Khan, H and Rudolf, A, 2007, “The Phillips Curve under state-dependent pricing”, Journal of Monetary Economics, 54(8): 2321-2345

Bakhshi, H, Khan, H, Burriel-Llombart, P and Rudolf, B, “The New Keynesian Phillips Curve Under Trend Inflation and Strategic Complementarity”, Journal of Macroeconomics, 29(1): 37-59

Bakhshi, H and Larsen, J, 2005, “ICT-specific technological progress in the UK”, Journal of Macroeconomics, 27(4): 648-669

Bakhshi, H, 2002, “Inflation and relative price variability”, Economics Letters, 76: 27-33

Bakhshi, H, 1999, “Is the demand for retirement consumption linear?”, Applied Economics Letters, 6(10): 669-671

Bakhshi, H, 1999, “Some costs and benefits of price stability in the UK”, in Feldstein, M (ed) The Costs and Benefits of Price Stability, NBER

 

You can find my Google Scholar page here.