Eveline Smeets

Economist at World Bank Group. I tinker mainly with economics and technology.
Latest curiosities are science & technology and the human condition, human-machine collaboration, greek myths, piano.

Currently based in Washington DC.
Previously: Netherlands · UK · Austria · Oman · Peru · Singapore


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I work on applied research on the economics of technology, now mainly artificial intelligence, and have spent a decade translating research into decisions, advising the World Bank Group venture capital investment committee (IFC) and government policies (UN).

2020–now
research · investment
Economist, World Bank Group (IFC)
Economic research and investment in disruptive technology globally — advising the IFC investment committee, WBG member states, and engaging directly with product and engineering teams in portfolio companies
2019–2020
policy · operations
Junior Industrial Development Expert, United Nations (UNIDO)
Seconded from UN to Oman's Ministry of Commerce and Industry — designing industrial policies, writing policy memos and advising ministers and senior government officials, organizing the national policy consultation
2018–2019
regulation
Analyst, Morrow Sodali (Nestor Advisors)
Designed regulatory frameworks for listed companies and capital markets regulators in two EBRD client countries, in partnership with local capital market regulators and stock exchanges
2015–2017
entrepreneurship
Co-founder, Salto Peru
Founded and ran a social innovation project enabling 450+ smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in Peru to adopt technology and access markets
2013–2014
research
Researcher, United Nations (UNIDO)
Econometric modelling and dataset development on economic transformation and jobs, contributing to UNIDO flagship publications and policy memos. (2015-2017 independent collaborator on World Development publication)
2014–2015
education
MSc Economic History, London School of Economics
Renswoude Foundation scholarship · Top 20%
2010–2013
education
BSc Economics and Business Economics, Maastricht University
Research Honors Program · Semester at NTU Singapore
AI adoption among frontier firms worldwide: an original dataset
WBG · with L. Olarte & L. Graf
Manufacturing, jobs and economic growth: an original dataset and publication
World Development Journal, Elsevier · Featured in The Economist · with N. Haraguchi & C. Cheng
The impact of digitalization on the creative industries
WBG · World Economic Forum · Presented at WTO Public Forum 2023
Manufacturing strategy and policy instruments: Sultanate of Oman
United Nations (UNIDO) · Industrial policy framework for economic diversification

Primers synthesize the research literature on topics in technology and economics. These are updated as the research evolves.

AI & Jobs
A synthesis of research on AI and labor markets: theory and empirics across disciplines
AI & Productivity
Coming soon
March of the machine makes idle minds?
A synthesis of what economics and history suggest about AI and jobs