ECFIN’s Annual Research Conference, which was held on 19 November, addressed the overall theme of "The productivity challenge: jobs and incomes in the dawning era of intelligent robots". An audience of 80-100 invited participants from research and policy-making circles attended the one-day event and the conference was also web streamed. ECFIN’s Director General Marco Buti welcomed the speakers and gave an introductory speech. Professor Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University delivered the Distinguished ECFIN Lecture and Commission Vice-President Katainen addressed the audience in a keynote. Over the course of three sessions, conference participants examined the trends and drivers of productivity growth; the economics of digitalised and robotised economies; and productivity and the regional cohesion challenge.