Carlota Perez studies the socio-economic impact of technical change and the historical context of growth and development. Her long career has combined civil service, academic research and teaching, and she has acted as a consultant for several Latin American governments; for international organisations such as UNIDO, CEPAL, the Andean Pact, the World Bank, and the OECD; and for many global corporations including IBM, Cisco, Telefonica, Mondragon and Ericsson.

Author of the influential Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: the Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages (Elgar 2002), the Venezuelan-British scholar is currently working on a sequel, analysing the roles that government, business and civil society play in the deployment of technological potential. Apart from her affiliation to SPRU, Carlota is currently Honorary Professor at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) University College London, Adjunct Professor of Technology and Development at the Nurkse Institute, Taltech, Estonia and Academic in Residence, Anthemis UK.