This week Michael Aldous , Laurence Mussio and I launched the Long Run Initiative (LRI). We have set up the LRI as a forum for academic experts, business leaders and public policymakers. It provides insights from the analysis of long-run experiences and trends to provide context and deepen understanding of the grand challenges facing businesses and government. LRI analysis focuses on where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going. LRI is an initiative of the Queen's University Centre for Economic History . You can read more about LRI at our website and follow our blog . You can also follow us on Twitter @longinitiative .