Edward Nevin and the evolution of the Welsh economy since 1950

Introductory Editor's note: Edward (Ted) Nevin produced a considerable body of research on the Welsh economy and regional policy, publishing a total of fifty monographs, academic papers and press articles between the early 1950s and 1990. February 2025 will be the centenary of Nevin’s birth. To mark this milestone, his son, Michael Nevin, has recently published a book ‘Edward Nevin: An impression of his life, times and legacy’ (Nevin, 2024). In addition, Michael Nevin has authored this paper which provides a synthesis of Edward Nevin’s work on the Welsh economy and considers its implications for Welsh economic policy in the 2020s. Edward Nevin’s work was of great significance and importance, in particular the pioneering work he co-authored on the structure of the Welsh economy, producing the first set of input-output accounts relating to Wales. This work formed a foundation and provided inspiration for research in input-output analysis in Wales and beyond. In Wales, much of the activities of the Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff Business School have been based around compiling input-output tables for Wales and applying these in a range of contexts.