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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

OPEC+ Expected to Hold November Oil Output Quotas Steady

OPEC+ is expected to keep oil production quotas unchanged for November as the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to disrupt crude supplies from several major producers, according to Bloomberg. Seven key members of the...

High Rates Weigh on U.S. Home Improvement Demand

Uncertainty over interest rates, energy prices, housing affordability and geopolitical risks is pressuring the U.S. home improvement industry in 2026, with Citi analysts warning that sluggish conditions could extend into...

Scope Warns US Debt Could Hit 160% of GDP

Scope Ratings warned that the United States is becoming increasingly vulnerable to shifts in investor sentiment as persistent budget deficits drive government debt and interest costs higher. The European credit ratings...

Bank of America Sees EUR/USD at 1.15 by Year-End

Bank of America expects the euro to strengthen against the U.S. dollar over the coming year, forecasting EUR/USD will reach 1.15 by the end of this year before climbing to 1.20 by the end of 2027, according to a research...

G20 Divided Over US Push to Curb Industrial Overcapacity

A U.S.-led effort to tackle excess industrial capacity and non-market economic policies failed to secure unanimous support from Group of 20 trade ministers, highlighting persistent divisions among the worlds major...

Politics

Bosnia Election Puts EU Bid and Foreign Influence in Focus

Bosnians voted Sunday in national and regional elections that could shape the countrys European Union membership ambitions and the influence of the United States and Russia in the Balkan nation. Voters are choosing members...

Iran Keeps Strait of Hormuz Closed as War Talks Stall

Iran said Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington accepts seven conditions tied to the Islamabad Memorandum, as negotiations to end the seven-month U.S.-Israeli war with Iran remain deadlocked....

Russia Strikes Kyiv Bridge as Ukraine Infrastructure Attacks Escalate

Russian forces targeted Kyivs Pivnichnyi Bridge with a drone for a second straight day on Sunday, intensifying attacks on critical infrastructure across Ukraine as fighting continued in several regions. Ukrainian President...

Merz Pledges €1 Billion in Ukraine Aid During Kyiv Visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged fresh military and energy support for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday, as Russian strikes triggered air raid sirens and explosions across the Ukrainian capital. Merz met...

Japan Protests to US After Marine Arrested in Okinawa Murder Case

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lodged a formal protest with the United States on Sunday after a U.S. Marine was arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of robbing and murdering a Japanese woman. Japanese police said Devin...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

UK Warned Over Growing Reliance on US Cloud Providers

Britains increasing dependence on U.S. cloud computing companies for critical government services could create a major strategic and economic vulnerability, lawmakers have warned, raising concerns about data sovereignty...

AI Agents Could Disrupt Financial Services, Bernstein Says

Consumer AI agents could reshape financial services by reducing customer inertia and making it easier to switch between financial products, although trust, data access and regulatory hurdles may slow adoption, according to...

SoftBank Shares Fall After $10 Billion OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group shares dropped sharply on Friday after the Japanese technology conglomerate completed the final portion of its latest OpenAI investment, lifting its total investment in the artificial intelligence company to...

Amazon Eyes $8 Billion Nvidia Chip Spinoff to Fund AI Expansion

Amazon is exploring a plan to transfer roughly $8 billion worth of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to outside investors as the technology giant looks for new ways to finance its rapidly expanding AI...

California AG Subpoenas OpenAI Over AI Cybersecurity Incidents

California Attorney General Rob Bonta served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena Wednesday, escalating a state investigation into cybersecurity incidents involving the artificial intelligence company and its models. The...