Joan Enric Ricart Costa

Joan Enric Ricart Costa serves as Carl Schroeder Chair Professor of Strategic Management at IESE Business School, University of Navarra, where he has held continuous academic positions since 1984. His institutional roles include former Director of the Doctoral Program (1995-2006), Associate Dean for Research (2001-2006), and Chairman of the Strategic Management Department (1993-2016).

• Industrial Engineer, Industrial Organization, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (1978)
• Ph.D. Industrial Engineering, ETSEIT (1982)
• Master of Science, Kellogg Graduate School of Management (1982)
• Ph.D. Managerial Economics, Kellogg Graduate School of Management (1984)
• Ph.D. Economics and Management equivalence (1985)

Ricart's research focuses on strategic management with particular emphasis on business model innovation, sustainability strategy, and urban governance. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in public-private partnerships and offshoring strategies. He has pioneered relational business model approaches for sustainable development and developed evaluation frameworks for SDG-aligned infrastructure projects.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward sustainable urban development, with increasing focus on public-private partnerships (2019-2025), business model renewal in digital contexts (2020-2024), and ethical governance frameworks (2018). His work demonstrates consistent evolution from traditional strategic management toward integrated sustainability approaches.

• Fellow of Strategic Management Society, European Academy of Management, and International Academy of Management (2012)
• SMS Service Award (2019)
• EFMD First Prize for Best Case in International Business (1997)
• Joan Sardà Dexeus Prize for Best Book on Managerial Economics (1997)
• Top 10 Most-Cited Article in Long Range Planning (2007-2011)

As Academic Director of the UN Center of Excellence of PPP for Cities and Co-Academic Director of IESE Cities in Motion, Ricart leads major research initiatives analyzing urban governance and sustainable development. His grant-funded projects include the IESE Cities in Motion Index (2025) and multi-city comparative studies on urban economic development. He has supervised numerous doctoral theses and led international research collaborations through the Strategic Management Society and European Academy of Management.

Ricart co-founded and directs the Cities in Motion research center, which produces the biennial Cities in Motion Index analyzing 170+ global cities across economic, social, governance, and environmental dimensions. His team collaborates with municipal governments worldwide to implement evidence-based urban policy frameworks.