On 9 July 2025, Prof Diane Coyle delivered a keynote at the WIPO conference on Better Data for Better Policy, highlighting the growing economic importance of intangibles—especially data—and the urgent need for better measurement frameworks.
In her keynote address to WIPO member states in Geneva, Switzerland, on “Rethinking Progress in an Intangible Economy,” Professor Diane Coyle stated: “History tells us that growth and living standards are enabled by the power of ideas and intangibles—and all of that policy starts with measurement”.
Prof Coyle’s presentation focused on the growing economic importance of intangibles—especially data—as key drivers of value in modern economies. She explained how intangible assets like intellectual property, design, marketing, and data have been steadily rising in GDP share since the 1970s, yet remain difficult to measure with traditional economic tools. Coyle emphasised that data, now recognised as an asset in national accounts, is particularly challenging to value due to its non-rival, public good nature and lack of standardised markets. She called for new frameworks to better measure and manage data’s role in innovation, AI, and economic development, especially to inform policy and ensure fair value distribution.
She advised: “For every country, thinking about their data assets and how those assets contribute to economic value—both privately and as a public good—is going to be very important for development and social aims.”
Watch Diane Coyle present her keynote on Rethinking Progress in an Intangible Economy [19:54 – 31:09]
Read the transcript for Professor Coyle’s keynote. Read the full transcript and report from the World Intangible Investment Highlights 2025 Better Data for Better Policy – Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO Sixty Sixth Series of Meetings, 9 July, Geneva, Switzerland.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
