By Benjamin F. Jones and Philippe Aghion

Kellogg Insight (Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University)

One of the central questions facing many economists is how economies can continue to grow and innovate in ways that are sustainable over the long term.

For Philippe Aghion, a professor at the College de France and at INSEAD, it helps to think about the problem in terms of “creative destruction”—the process by which new products and ideas replace older ones. Aghion was recently at Kellogg to deliver the Nancy M. Schwartz Memorial Lecture. During his visit, he spoke with Kellogg’s Ben Jones, a professor of strategy, to discuss innovation, competition, and designing a more equitable capitalist future.