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Rhys ap Gwilym

Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bangor University
Dr Rhys ap Gwilym is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Bangor University’s Business School. He trained as a macroeconomist at Cardiff University, gaining his PhD on the “Macroeconomic Implications of Behavioural Finance Models” in 2009. His academic research has involved developing models which introduce behavioural factors into macroeconomic analysis (including DSGE models) and the analysis of financial instruments in a general equilibrium setting. He has published in journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance, Economics Letters and the Southern Economic Journal.

More recently, his research interests have evolved to cover spatial economics and public finance. He is currently working on a project examining how geographical differences in access to finance influence regional economic disparities; in particular the links between the financialization of land and regional economic development.

Rhys has a strong interest in regional development policy and its role in Wales in particular. He has been a principal investigator on two grant-funded research projects for the Welsh Government relating to land value tax and tourism taxes. He is a member of the Institute of Welsh Affairs’ Economic Policy Group, where he has been involved in the development of discussion papers on the Welsh economy. He recently contributed to the “expert roundtable on the Welsh tax base & implications for public policy”.

Why you should expect to pay more tourist taxes – even though the evidence for them is unclear

May 09, 2024 07:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

In April 2024, Venice began its controversial experiment to charge day trippers 5 (4.30) to visit the city on some of the busiest days of the year. But its not just the lagoon city, with its 30 million visitors a year...

Economy

China's Economy Surges in Early 2026: Industrial Output and Retail Sales Beat Forecasts

China kicked off 2026 on a stronger-than-expected economic footing, with both industrial production and retail sales surpassing analyst forecasts during the JanuaryFebruary period, reinforcing confidence in the worlds...

China's New Home Prices Continue to Fall in February 2025

Chinas new home prices remained in negative territory in February, signaling that the countrys struggling real estate market has yet to find its footing. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics and...

Gold Prices Slip as Iran Conflict and Fed Uncertainty Weigh on Markets

Gold prices retreated below critical support levels during Asian trading hours on Monday, pressured by ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran and growing caution ahead of...

Trump Seeks Global Coalition to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Amid U.S.-Israel-Iran Conflict

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his administration is actively negotiating with seven unnamed countries to form a multinational coalition aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway that Iran...

Global Markets on Edge as Gulf Tensions Push Oil Prices Higher

Asian markets opened cautiously this Monday as ongoing hostilities in the Gulf region continued to drive oil prices upward, casting a shadow over the global inflation outlook. With most major central banks scheduled for...

Politics

Trump Signals Possible U.S.-Cuba Deal Amid Ongoing Diplomatic Talks

President Donald Trump hinted on Sunday that the United States may be close to reaching an agreement with Cuba, suggesting that significant developments in their long-troubled bilateral relationship could unfold in the...

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Talks Expected Amid Ongoing Hezbollah Conflict

Israeli and Lebanese officials are reportedly moving toward direct negotiations aimed at establishing a lasting ceasefire, with the central objective of disarming Hezbollah. Two Israeli officials confirmed the anticipated...

U.S. Oil Executives Warn Trump Administration of Worsening Energy Crisis Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Top American oil industry leaders have sounded the alarm to the Trump administration, cautioning that the ongoing energy crisis stemming from the war with Iran could intensify as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz...

Iran-U.S. Military Escalation Shakes Persian Gulf and Global Oil Markets

Retaliatory drone and missile strikes have swept across the Persian Gulf after President Donald Trump threatened to expand U.S. military operations against Iranian energy infrastructure, sending global markets into a...

Trump Warns NATO Over Iran Strait Crisis as Pressure Mounts on China

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to NATO allies on Sunday, cautioning that the alliance faces a troubled future if European nations refuse to support U.S. military efforts in Iran. His remarks, published by...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Micron Technology Plans Second Taiwan Chip Facility to Meet AI Memory Demand

U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology has announced plans to construct a second manufacturing facility in Taiwan, reinforcing its commitment to expanding production capacity amid rapidly growing artificial intelligence...

Nvidia GTC 2025: Jensen Huang Set to Unveil Next-Gen AI Chips and Strategy

Jensen Huang is preparing to take center stage at Nvidias annual GTC developer conference, where the charismatic CEO is expected to unveil a sweeping roadmap designed to keep Nvidia ahead of a fast-moving pack of AI chip...

Global PC Market Faces 10% Decline in 2026 as AI PCs Surge

The global personal computer market is heading into a rough patch in 2026, with Goldman Sachs forecasting a 10% year-on-year drop in shipments a steeper contraction than earlier projections suggested. Total global PC...

AI in Drug Development: How Pharma Is Cutting Costs and Accelerating Innovation

Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping the pharmaceutical industry and the financial upside could be enormous. According to research firm Bernstein, widespread AI adoption across drug development pipelines could...

Intel and Nvidia Join Forces for AI Hardware Development Ahead of GTC 2025

Intel has confirmed its participation in Nvidias highly anticipated GPU Technology Conference (GTC), signaling a deepening alliance between two of the semiconductor industrys most influential players. The announcement was...