Unni Pillai
PhD Economics, University of Minnesota, 2008
MSc Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2003
BSc Economics, University of London, 2001
B.Tech Electrical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 1998
About
Dr Pillai's research focuses on the economic drivers of technological change. Technical advances in high tech industries are important contributors to productivity growth in the macroeconomy and to improvements in the standard of living. Dr. Pillai studies how economic factors influence the rate at which these technical advances are made, how government policies can influence the rate of technical change, and the welfare impact of these policies. Dr. Pillai's work includes theoretical modeling, econometric estimation of model parameters, and use of estimated models to quantitatively understand the impact of government policies.
Research
Research Interests
- Economic Growth
- Economics of Technological Change
Publications
Unni Pillai, The Rise and Fall of Input Suppliers", Revise and Resubmit (Journal of Economics and Management Strategy), 2025". https://sites.google.com/view/upillai/rise_fall_supplier_page
Unni Pillai, “Automation, Productivity and Innovation in Information Technology”, 2023, Macroeconomic Dynamics, Vol. 27, No. 4, 879-905. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1365100521000699
Unni Pillai, “The Origins of the Tools Suppliers in the Semiconductor Industry”, Business History, 2023, Vol.65, No. 6, 959-982. https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2020.1844666
Simin Moyazeni, Unni Pillai and Rui Wang, “Consumers Behind Solar Energy: A Case Study of Households’ Demand for Four OECD Countries”, Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2019.
Unni Pillai, "Drivers of Cost Reduction in Solar Photovoltaics", Energy Economics, Vol. 50, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.05.015
Maseeh Mukhtar and Unni Pillai, “Nanomanufacturing : Application of Nanotechnology in Manufacturing Industries, Nanotechnology Law and Business, 2015, Vol 12, No. 1.
Samuel Kortum and Unni Pillai, “Comment: Productivity and Potential Output Before, During and After the Great Recession”, National Bureau of Economic Research, Macroeconomics Annual, 2014, vol. 29. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/680581
Unni Pillai, “Competition among Solar Contractors in California”, Proceedings of the 2014 Fall Symposium Series of Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, 2014. Arlington, VA. AAAI Press. https://cdn.aaai.org/ocs/9130/9130-40033-1-PB.pdf
Unni Pillai, Input Price and Industry Concentration in a Cournot Oligopoly, Economics Bulletin, 2014, Vol. 34, No.3, pp.1704-1713.
Unni Pillai, “A Model of Technological Progress in the Microprocessor Industry”, Journal of Industrial Economics. 2013, Vol. 61, No. 5, 877-912. https://doi.org/10.1111/joie.12037
Ana Aizcorbe, Samuel Kortum and Unni Pillai, “The Value of Microprocessor Designs”, Communications of the ACM, 2013, Vol 56, No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1145/2408776.2408788
Unni Pillai and Jamison Mclaughlin, “A Model of Competition in the Solar Industry”, Energy Economics, 2013, Vol 40, pp 32-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2013.05.017
Nicholas Querques, Pradeep Haldar and Unni Pillai, “Venture Capital Investment into Thin Film Solar Photovoltaics - Where is it going and why?”, Journal of Nanotechnology Law and Business, Vol.6, No.3, 408-414.
Instruction & Advising
Courses
INEN/INSC 104 Technology Revolutions
NENG 513 Economics Principles for Technology Management
INSE 663 Managing New Product Design and Development
NENG 400 Engineering Economics
NENG 565 Finance and Valuation of High Technology Firms
Additional Information
Awards & Honors
- William E. Weiss Lecture in Economics (Endowed Lecture), Skidmore College, 2016
- National Science Foundation / American Statistical Association / Bureau of Economic Analysis Research Fellowship, Washington DC, 2010 and 2011
- External Study Scholarship, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2002
- Sir Edward Stern Prize in Economics, University of London, 2001
- Annual Award for Academic Achievement, University of London, 1999, 2000, 2001
- James Stewart Cook Prize in Political Science, LSE, University of London, 2000
- Singapore Airlines Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies in Engineering, Singapore, 1994-1998