Dr. Ricardo E. Buitrago R. is a Research Professor in Strategy and International Management at EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey. Furthermore, Dr. Buitrago is affiliated with the School of Management at Universidad del Rosario in Colombia as an associate researcher.

Before joining EGADE Business School, Dr. Buitrago served as Program Head and Dean in Universities in Colombia. In addition, he has been a visiting professor in different universities in Latin America.

He is a member of the Business Association for Latin American Studies (BALAS) Executive Committee. He is also a member of the Academy of International Business (AIB) and the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). He is also the ambassador for the Andean region of the IE-Scholars network.

His research interests are focused on the junction between international political economy, institutions, strategy, and international business. He has served as editor and reviewer for the Journal of Business Research, International Business Review, European Management Journal, and International Studies of Management & Organization, among others.

Before joining academia, Dr. Buitrago worked in banking and served as a consultant for various financial institutions in Colombia and Puerto Rico. He also worked as Project and Marketing Manager for multiple firms in Colombia.

Carlos Scheel has been a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey since 1973. As an expert in innovation, technology and sustainability strategies, Dr. Scheel’s research and teaching focuses on the areas of complex systems dynamics, technological innovation, innovation clusters strategies, the creation of unusual business models, technology-based entrepreneurship, distributed systems and information technology, concepts on which he has delivered short courses and specialized seminars in more than 30 institutions in 16 countries.

Since 2007, he has designed and validated the SWIT model (Sustainable Wealth creation based on Innovation and Technology) in several countries in order to create sustainable regional wealth at three empowering levels: Zero-value Residues Industrial Ecology Systems (ZRIES); Circular Value Ecosystems (CVES); the creation of regional sharing value systems (SVS) and the development of conditions and infrastructure for Innovacities.

Throughout his career, Dr. Scheel has been a consultant in international technical co-operation for a number of governments. He has participated in more than 20 international projects for the development of strategies, systems and policies for the implementation of industrial clusters; as well as science and technology innovation programs related to regional innovation systems, including, transfer, technological co-operation and technology-based entrepreneurship. These projects have been sponsored by bodies such as BID, UNIDO, USAID, the World Bank, PNUD, UNEP, EU Framework Programs and domestic governments.

Professor Scheel is a member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, SNI (National System of Researchers), Level 1 since 2007, and since 1989 he is a senior researcher at the Innovation, Creativity and Capital Institute (IC2) of the University of Texas, Austin (USA). Previously, he served as Director of the Postgraduate School of Information Technologies, Electronics, and Telecommunications of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (1985-2001).