Joshua Gans
Joshua Gans is a leading economist and innovation expert who serves as Professor of Strategic Management and the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He is also the Chief Economist at the University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab, where he focuses on how innovation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies reshape business strategy and economic markets. Gans specializes in technological competition, innovation-driven growth, industrial organization, and regulatory economics. His work connects rigorous academic research with real-world policy impact, supported by his advisory experience with major regulatory bodies including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Beyond academia, Gans provides economic and strategic consulting across sectors such as energy, telecommunications, financial services, banking, pharmaceuticals, and rail transport. He is also a prolific author of influential policy books and widely used economics textbooks, making him a trusted voice for students, investors, policymakers, and business leaders navigating today’s rapidly changing economy.
Joshua Gans Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategic Management
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Research Professor
Academic History
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Ph.D., Economics
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B.A., Economics
RESEARCH EXPERTISE
Dr. Joshua Gans is widely recognized for his expertise in competition policy, intellectual property protection, and the economics of innovation.
His research examines how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence influence market structure, regulatory policy, and long-term economic growth.
Gans’ work spans multiple industries, including energy, telecommunications, financial services, pharmaceuticals, and rail transportation, making his insights especially relevant for students, policymakers, and professionals navigating technologically driven markets.
Over his career, Gans has received several major academic honors. He was awarded the Economic Society of Australia’s Young Economist Award in 2007 and was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia the following year.
In 2017, he earned the Roger Martin Award for Research Excellence at the Rotman School of Management, and in 2019, he received the PURC Distinguished Service Award from the University of Florida’s Public Utility Research Center for his contributions to regulatory economics.
Gans holds numerous research affiliations, including Distinguished Fellow of the Luohan Academy, Senior Academic Fellow at the e61 Institute, Research Fellow at the FinTech@Cornell Initiative, and Research Affiliate at MIT’s Center for Digital Business.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Gans contributes extensively to leading academic and industry publications. He serves as Department Editor for Management Science and Associate Director for the Journal of Industrial Economics.
His academic research has appeared in top-tier journals such as the American Economic Review, the Journal of Political Economy, the RAND Journal of Economics, the Journal of Economic Perspectives, the Journal of Public Economics, and the Journal of Regulatory Economics.
Beyond academic outlets, Gans regularly writes for business and policy audiences, contributing to the Financial Times, Sloan Management Review, and more than two hundred additional opinion pieces across major media platforms.
He has authored and co-authored an extensive collection of influential books that explore innovation, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and economic policy.
NOTABLE WORKS
Prediction Machines – One of Gans’s most widely recognized works, this book co-authored with Ajay Agrawal and Avi Goldfarb) breaks down the economics behind AI and explains how organizations can strategically adopt AI technologies to create value, manage risk, and remain competitive.
The Disruption Dilemma – In this book, Gans analyzes the forces behind technological disruption and provides a clear framework for understanding when and how disruptive innovations impact established firms.
Innovation + Equality – Co-authored with economist Andrew Leigh, this work explores how societies can encourage innovation while ensuring equitable economic opportunity.
Information Wants to Be Shared – This book examines the economics of digital publishing and information sharing, offering important insights into copyright, content distribution, and the incentives that drive digital markets.
Parentonomics – A widely read book that uses economic principles to explore parenting decisions and incentives in everyday life. Though unconventional, it demonstrates Gans’s skill at making economic theory approachable and engaging.
Principles of Economics (Australasian Edition) – Co-authored with Stephen King and Robin Stonecash, this textbook adapts Greg Mankiw’s classic economics text for Australasian audiences and remains a foundational learning resource across universities.