The awarded case at the academic event analyzes the transformation of Nestlé’s innovation ecosystem.

By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Faculty members from EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey were honored with the Best Teaching Case Award at the 2025 edition of the annual conference of the Business Association of Latin American Studies (BALAS), held in Costa Rica.

The award was granted to Cristian Granados, professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation at EGADE Business School; Juan Carlos Bustamante, Director of the Master in Marketing at EGADE Business School; and Yarid Ayala, professor at the School of Business of Tecnológico de Monterrey, for their work "The Future of Nestlé’s Innovation Ecosystem."

"This case tells the story of a company that, lacking the necessary internal capabilities, initially failed to scale sustainable innovation projects, resorting to merely symbolic actions. However, this setback sparked profound strategic changes that transformed its innovation model," commented Granados on social media.

BALAS 2025, held under the theme "Sustainable Business: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America," took place from April 8 to 11 in San José, with INCAE Business School as the host institution. The event brought together over 125 participants from 21 countries, representing more than 60 business schools and universities worldwide.

With over 95 presentations of papers, case studies, and doctoral proposals, as well as 10 panels, workshops, and plenary sessions, the conference solidified its position as a key forum for discussing sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, ESG, business education, and academic accreditation.

EGADE Business School’s participation also stood out in other key areas of the academic program. Ricardo Buitrago, National Director of Doctoral Programs at EGADE Business School and President of BALAS, led the event’s opening session and moderated several plenary discussions.

Meanwhile, José Ernesto Amorós, Associate Dean of Faculty and Research at EGADE Business School, took part in two strategic sessions: "Good to Great: Elevating Business Schools Through Accreditation," focusing on the transformative impact of accreditation processes, and "Meet the Editors – From Manuscript to Impact: Publishing Strategies in Leading Business Journals," where he shared his perspective as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Management Research.

Additionally, other professors from EGADE Business School presented research that reinforces the school's commitment to producing knowledge that drives business and social progress across Latin America.