Luis Figueroa | INCAE

Biography

Luis Figueroa is a researcher, teacher and facilitator at the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS) of INCAE Business School in Costa Rica, with extensive experience leading projects and consultancies for international cooperation, business chambers and public sector entities in several countries. His main topics of interest include business strategy and competitiveness; and the design, evaluation and launch of new projects and companies. His work has focused on key value chains in Latin America, such as agribusiness, tourism, textiles / clothing, and health services, among others. Luis is an Economist, with a PhD in Entrepreneurship from the Essex Business School of the University of Essex in the UK and an MBA from INCAE Business School.

Profile

Data message

Country of origin:
Venezuela
Country of Residence:
Costa Rica
E-mail: 
luis.figueroa@incae.edu

Degrees

  • Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship University of Essex, UK. 2010-2015.
  • Sustainable Management Program, INCAE Business School, Costa Rica. 2007.
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA), INCAE Business School, Costa Rica. 1994-1996.
  • Economist, University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela. 1989-1993.

Work experience

CLACDS researcher
INCAE Business School. August 2018 to date
Conduct research and economic evaluations in projects on policies on technology and the labor market.  

Visiting professor and consultant
INCAE Business School. January 2016 - August 2018
Teaching entrepreneurship courses for the INCAE MBA in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Conduct of research and technical studies. Facilitation of strategic planning processes with unions and associations, private companies and government institutions in Costa Rica and other countries. 

Dean of the Faculty of Business Sciences
ULACIT, Costa Rica. August 2016 - March 2017 
Management of innovation processes and continuous improvement of the academic programs of the FCE at all levels (undergraduate and graduate). Coordination of activities and external relations with universities in the United States and other strategic allies.

Executive Director
Central American Healthcare Initiative, Central America Regional. October 2013 - January 2016
General management, procedure design, strategy formulation, budgeting and financial management, fundraising, recruitment. Academic design of programs and evaluations. Instructor in training seminars in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. 

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Research Assistant
University of Essex, Essex Business School, UK. October 2011 - July 2013
Teaching economics in undergraduate careers in business administration. 

Project Manager and Researcher
INCAE Business School, Costa Rica. September 1996 - October 2010
Project management in competitiveness agenda initiatives and clusters (business conglomerates) in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. Multisectoral agreements to improve competitive advantages at the international level. Instructor in training seminars on issues of strategy and competitiveness of the CLACDS of INCAE in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and other countries. 

RESEARCH AND FACILITATION

Digital Gap and Labor Market in Central America. August 2018 - December 2019. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Public Investment Portfolio in Belize. January-March 2018. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

Promotion of Geothermal in Central America. German Cooperation GIZ, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, 2017.

Construction of a Competitiveness and Sustainable Development Proposal for Ecuador. Chamber of Industry, Production and Employment of Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador. 2016.

Bogotá Fashion Cluster, Bogotá Mayor's Office, Bogotá, Colombia, 2009-2010.

Municipal Scorecard. IFC, World Bank Group, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, 2007.

Competitiveness Agenda Country Vision Bolivia. CAINCO-Swedish Cooperation, Bolivia, 2005-2006.

Competitive Fund for the Competitiveness of SMEs. IDB-MIF-INCAE, Central America and the Dominican Republic, 2004-2008.

Competitive Clusters in Ecuador, Wood and Flowers for Export. CORPEI, Quito, Ecuador, 1999.

Central American Agenda for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development XXI Century. CABEI / Avina Foundation, Central America, 1996-2000.

ACADEMIC CONFERENCES

Figueroa, L. (2013). Firm capabilities, complementarities and innovation in Latin America. Proceedings for the 8th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, pp. 243-251, Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, 19-20 September 2013