Mercedes Teruel

Mercedes Teruel is a Professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), holding a position in the Department of Economics within the Faculty of Economics and Business. Her research focuses on Industrial Economics, Economics of Innovation, and Industrial Dynamics, with an emphasis on high-growth enterprises, innovation policy, and the economic impacts of digitalization and global crises. She has authored numerous articles in top journals like Small Business Economics and Economics of Innovation and New Technology, often analyzing firm behavior, R&D strategies, and policy implications. Her work explores topics such as the role of AI in SMEs, circular economy policies, and post-COVID resilience of firms. She has also contributed to regional economic analyses, including annual industry reports for Catalonia and studies on start-up ecosystems. Teruel has co-edited books on innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional economic policy, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research with practical policy applications.

Her research interests span firm growth dynamics, innovation drivers, and the interplay between public policies and economic outcomes. Notable studies include assessing infrastructure projects funded by international institutions, analyzing the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions during the pandemic, and evaluating the role of gender diversity in R&D teams. She has collaborated extensively with institutions like the Generalitat de Catalunya and CIDEM, contributing to reports on industrial competitiveness and regional innovation systems.

Teruel’s publications consistently highlight her expertise in empirical economics, with a focus on European firms and their responses to technological change, financial constraints, and global challenges. Her work often emphasizes policy-relevant insights, such as how digitalization can foster high-growth enterprises or how export dynamics influence innovation. She has also engaged in teaching and curriculum development, including promoting English-language instruction in economics programs.