AI boom, Deglobalisation and Fiscal Shifts
Navigating the Global Economic Outlook
in this page:
Despite heightened policy uncertainty global economic activity has remained resilient in 2025 and we expect that to continue in 2026 after a soft start to the year. The economy is becoming increasingly divided with ongoing US outperformance offsetting weakness in Asian and European economies.
Three key forces are shaping this fragile economic outlook – deglobalisation, the ongoing AI boom and the changing nature of fiscal policy. With growth increasingly concentrated in a few sectors, the risks around the baseline are significant and growing. We will examine the following key questions for 2026 and beyond:
- How long can the AI boom last?
- Have we seen the full impact of tariffs on the global economy?
- What are the consequences of fiscal profligacy?
- Can China escape deflation?
Agenda
Head of Asia Economics
Our Presenters
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Innes McFee
CEO
Innes McFeeCEO
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/innes-mcfee-31a66b13/
Innes McFee is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Economist of Oxford Economics, based in London. Innes is responsible for coordinating and managing Oxford Economics’ global economic analysis, forecasting and consultancy activities, and overseeing its global team of over 450 professionals including 300 economists and analysts. Innes has worked in the Macroeconomic Consulting and the Macro & Investor Services teams since joining Oxford Economics in 2017. Most recently he has led the growth in Oxford Economics’ subscription business writing and presenting to clients globally on macroeconomic, investment strategy and real estate issues.
Innes joined Oxford Economics after 6 years at Lloyds Banking Group as a Senior Economist, where he was responsible forecasts and analysis of the UK and international economy. Prior to joining Lloyds Innes was an Economic Advisor at HM Treasury. Innes has a first-class undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Durham and an MSc in Economics from Warwick University.
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Louise Loo
Head of Asia Economics
Louise LooHead of Asia Economics
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiseloo/
Louise Loo is the Head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics. She leads the firm’s macroeconomic research and forecasting efforts on Greater China.
Prior to joining Oxford Economics, she was a senior economist at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. At Goldman Sachs, she was also a long-term advisor to China Ministry of Finance and the China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with regards to their sovereign credit ratings.
Louise is a regular contributor to various international financial news outlets and has earned Economics and public policy degrees with Sheffield University and Columbia University.
