Juan Ortega

Innovation management and policy expert.

At EPM (enterprise group of 56 companies in Latin America in energy, water and sanitation businesses with USD 7 billion in revenue in 2014 and 20+ million customers), he is responsible for innovation, planning and project management of new business development, products and services for the company.

As CEO of Ruta N - Innovation and Business Center of Medellin, program of the Municipality of Medellin to enhance the development of new knowledge-based business with international projection through development and strengthening of the ecosystem of science, technology and innovation (STi) from 2011-2013 he leaded the Municipality public policy in STi. His main accomplishments were:
• Medellin´s STi Plan 2011-2021 with $140 million investment commitment from the Municipality between 2013 and 2021, the biggest in the history of a Colombian city.
• Lead Ruta N´s STi programs with a budget of USD 30 million in 2013.
• First Colombian Seed Capital Fund launch, with USD 10 million commitment from Ruta N and IADB.
• Launching of Medellin´s Innovation District attracting companies from US, Spain, Ireland, Chile and Argentina bringing 400+ new technology jobs to the city between 2012 and 2013.

In 2008, as an innovation consultant in GEN3 Partners, innovation consulting firm based in Boston (USA), he supported a research on best practices in innovation in large companies, including GE, Xerox, Pitney Bowes, Carrier, Pratt & Whitney, UT Research Center and Gerber Coburn.

He was adviser to the Mayor of Medellin in structuring “Cultura E”, city entrepreneurship program in 2004.

In the multinational Unisys led projects in several “multilatinas” companies in ceramics, retail, telco and other sectors from 1998-2003.

He has taught project management, entrepreneurship and innovation at the Pontificia Bolivariana University, Catolica de Oriente University, EAFIT University and Libre University, he was jury of business plan contest as Ventures (main business competition in Colombia) and Intel Challenge Latin America and he made innovation lectures in Spain, Portugal, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru and Colombia and has papers published in several publications in Colombia.

Electronic Engineer from the Pontificia Bolivariana University, MBA from EAFIT University and specialist in Virtual Learning Environments of the Organization of Iberoamerican States. Innovation and Technology Management and Policy program at MIT as a Fulbright fellow.