Why are we allowing the private sector to take over our public works?

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) hosts a fascinating discussion on Why are we allowing the private sector to take over our public works? In conversation with Brett Christophers

In this IIPP In Conversation event, Brett Christphers will discuss his recent book Our Lives in Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own the World. Banks have taken a backseat since the global financial crisis over a decade ago. Today, our new financial masters are asset managers, like Blackstone and BlackRock. And they don't just own financial assets. The roads we drive on; the pipes that supply our drinking water; the farmland that provides our food; energy systems for electricity and heat; hospitals, schools, and even the homes in which many of us live – all now swell asset managers’ bulging investment portfolios. As the owners of more and more of the basic building blocks of everyday life, asset managers shape the lives of each and every one of us. This talk will examine how and why this came about, and what the consequences are.

About this event:

• Date: Wednesday 13th December 2023 from 17:30-19:00pm (GMT)
• Where: University College London (UCL) Bloomsbury and Online

Meet the panel:

• Speaker: Brett Christohpers | Professor of Human Geography at Uppsala University
• Discussant: Stefan Horn | PhD Candidate, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
• Chair: Mariana Mazzucato | Director and Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose for Innovation and Public Purpose

If you have any queries around access, please get in touch with a member of the team (IIPP[email protected]). This seminar is convened by Dr Carolina Alves.