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TCI Director Carlos Alvarez

Carlos Álvarez is an industrial civil engineer and holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. Since year 2006 and to date, he has been the Executive Vice-President and CEO of the Chilean Economic Development Agency, CORFO. His leadership in the agency has focused on three strategic issues: innovation; strengthening of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and local production development through investment promotion and cluster strengthening.

As CORFO’s Executive Vice-President and CEO, he has led the design and implementation of a new economic development policy promoted by the Bachelet Administration. This is a cluster-based policy to improve the country’s competitiveness, develop local areas and increase the competitiveness of companies. Some results of these efforts are the design and implementation of Local Productive Development Agencies in each of the country’s 15 regions —with funding from the IDB— and the National Clusters Program. This Program is aimed at expanding and consolidating the sectors that have been identified as the ones with the greatest economic growth potential in Chile.

Additionaly, Mr. Álvarez leads the public-private council of CORFO’s InnovaChile program and is a permanent invited member of the National Innovation for Competitiveness Council.

Formerly, between year 2004 and March 2006, he acted as Undersecretary of Economic Affairs, carrying out activities as Government Coordinator of Information Technologies, participating in the implementation of the Digital Agenda, and acting as Executive Secretary of the National Innovation for Competitiveness Council. This Council submitted a report with basic guidelines for a long-term national strategy in this area to the President of the Republic; and suggested measures to strengthen the National Innovation System and to improve the effectiveness of public policies and tools related with innovation in Chile.

Other highlights of his career in CORFO include his position as corporate manager since December 2002. Before that, he performed as Investment and Development Official (2000- 2002) and Strategic Program Official (1996-1999).

Between 1992 and 1993 he worked for the Bureau of International Economic Relations as assistant and head of ProChile’s domestic and foreign networks. Between 1990 and 1991, he worked for the Ministry of Economic Affairs as senior adviser for SME policymaking.

Between 1989 and 1990, he was a researcher at the Joint Eclac-UNIDO Division and also a researcher at the University of Chile (1986-1988).

He has teaching experience (1989 and 1993) as a professor of Economics at the University of Chile, where he was professor for the Master program in Public Policies and Management and taught in subjects such as Strategic Management for Public Agencies; Political and Organizational Analysis; Technological and Production Development Policy.

Additionally, he has performed as adviser to Fundación Chile, to CORFO’s Innovation Development Fund and to the System of State-Owned Companies (SEP). He as been Vice-President of the National Standardization Institute (INN) between 1998 and 1999.

In 1998, the President of the Republic appointed him as member of the National Committee of Information Technologies, where he was the coordinator of the under-committee on Competitiveness. In 2000, he implemented the High-Technology Investment Attraction Program, a joint effort by CORFO and the Foreign Investment Committee.

Additionally, Carlos Álvarez is member of the Consultative Council of the Institute for the Connectivity of the Americas (ICA), based in Canada.