Bart Verspagen

United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology

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About

Bart Verspagen is an economist whose research sits at the intersection of technological change, economic growth, and income distribution. His most recognized work investigates the macroeconomic implications of automation technologies — including robotization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence — and their potential to reshape labor markets and long-run growth trajectories. In his influential 2019 paper "Perpetual Growth, the Labor Share, and Robots" (16 citations), Verspagen challenges conventional growth theory by arguing that emerging waves of machine-labor substitution could generate so-called *perpetual growth* in per capita income, fundamentally altering how economists think about technological progress and its distributional consequences. His complementary 2018 working paper extends this framework to explicitly address how automation technologies interact with income distribution, prompting a rethinking of traditional models of technological change. Together, these contributions position Verspagen as a thoughtful voice in the growing scholarly debate over whether artificial intelligence and robotics represent a qualitative break from historical patterns of innovation. His work is particularly valuable for students and researchers seeking rigorous theoretical grounding in the economics of the digital and automated economy.