Profile

José Manuel Leceta, Chair

Leceta1 José Manuel Leceta is the Chairman of the IFI High-Level Advisory Board. Former DG of Red.es from 2016-2018. Former Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) from 2011 to 2015. Former International Director of the Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) from 2004-2010.

Jose Manuel was Director General of Red.es, the Spanish Government Digital Transformation Agency from November, 2016 to July, 2018 where he revamped the 15 years old organization with a new Strategic Plan, Operational Plan and innovative culture. Before, following a European-wide competition involving circa 200 candidates, José Manuel was appointed Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in 2011 nurturing partnership relations with EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and inspiring first offerings as an Institute for Europe which he codified later as visiting fellow of the European University Institute (EUI).

Formerly, before joining EIT, he was CDTI’s International Director from 2004 to 2010, where he successfully raised the Spanish participation in the EU R&D Framework Programs by 50 %. He also represented Spain in CREST, Eureka and TAFTIE – serving as Executive Secretary in 2010 – and widened CDTI´s Overseas Network with Delegations in India and the US, successfully launching a set of Bilateral Programs.

Having joined CDTI in 1992 to foster Spain´s role and leadership in the practical applications of space, he became Head of Department for Technologies and Space Programs at CDTI in 1996. From 200 to 2002 he was Chairman of the European Space Agency Ariane Board and Vice-Chairman of Telecommunication Board. Also, he played a pivotal role in pioneer space initiatives, notably ESA´s water mission SMOS, AMERHIS (first Hispasat on-board digital multiplexers) and EGNOS-Galileo.

A Telecommunications Engineer from the Technical University of Madrid, José Manuel also studied Business Administration and has diplomas in Space Studies (ISU), Strategic Management of ICT, Economics of Telecommunications, International Studies and Economics and Management of Innovation. He started his business career in Finland in 1987, working thereafter in space industry in France, Spain and Japan.

INNOGREEN Research (ES)

INNOGREEN Research was established in Madrid (Spain) as an initiative to consolidate many years of joint efforts of researchers around eco-innovation and circular economy research to advance knowledge and achieve a wider impact in society.

Gonzalo Figuera (ES)

Gonzalo Figuera Díez-Picazo, SM in Technology and Policy (MIT), Engineer École Centrale Paris, Industrial Engineer UPM (Madrid), is an experienced business leader, consultant and entrepreneur, specialized in innovation-based organizations and digital transformation.

Currently, he works as Innovation Director at Innogate to Europe, a company specialised in managing international projects. He has over 20 years of previous experience working for large corporations and engineering companies (Telefonica R&D, INECO), large academic institutions (MIT, UPM), consulting companies (Cluster Consulting, now Oliver Wyman), and technology-based start-ups (N2S-GAMESA Group).

His fields of specialty include ICT (information and communication technologies), software, IoT (internet of things), automation, infrastructures, smart cities, energy and energy efficiency, renewables, bioenergy, cleantech, sustainable transport, electric vehicle, infrastructures and sustainability. He teaches courses on technology and innovation management, entrepreneurship, energy and energy efficiency, and acts as editor and contributor to publications, lectures and seminars related to his work.

Carlos Herreros (ES)

Carlos Herreros has more than 30 years of experience consulting to businesses in different industries and sizes. He has been working in coaching with top level executives to help them in their thinking of strategy and to develop their level of consciousness to cope with the growing complexity of their jobs.

His understanding of strategy is evolutionary in the sense that what it ultimately should pursue is the survival of the organization. Therefore it is probably the most important task of leaders and executives.

He is also interested in learning and teaching the history of management.

He considers himself an expert on neuroscience applied to management and to creative and innovative processes that require grit, self-awareness, flow and resilience; neuroscience provides us with resources and tools for improvement in all the four areas.

Luis Delgado (ES)

Luis Delgado has a Ph.D. in Physics (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) and a Diploma in Planning and Administration of Business (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). He is Executive Advisor at the General Secretariat of Universities in the Spanish Ministry of Education. He has a long experience working in Higher Education, Research and Innovation as well as in Planning and Management and on policy making at national and international level, for more than 30 years as:

Materials’ Researcher (CIEMAT, Spain),
Managing Director of Technological Centre (Madrid Institute of Technology)
Director of Planning and Management of Public Research Organization (IGME, 1993- 2002))
Deputy Director General of International Organisms and Programmes (2002 – 2007)
Coordinator of the Unit Universities and Researchers. DG Research and Technological Development. European Commission (2007 – 2009) in charge of the Modernisation Agenda for European Universities.
Deputy Director General of Modernization and Internationalization of Universities (Ministry of Education, 2009 – 2011).

He has represented Spain in in different international research and HE committees, programmes and organisms: BFUG, OECD – IMHE, Council of Europe; European Commission, the European University Institute, etc.

He is author or co-author of more than 150 papers on scientific journals, conferences, seminars and workshops on higher education, research, innovation, technology transfer, employability, management, international cooperation, etc.