When moving abroad, it could be advisable to bring the best experiences from one’s own home country. María-José Ibáñez, Professor at the Centrum PUCP Business School in Peru, is doing this as it relates to her experiences with Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
Prior to taking on the role at Centrum in April 2023, María-José was a PhD student studying entrepreneurship at the University of Desarrollo UDD in Chile. Under the guidance of long-time GEM researcher Maribel Guerrero, María-José was contributing to the GEM Chile Team’s research and saw first-hand the value of the project. Upon relocating to the Centrum Business School, María-José wanted to continue collaborating with GEM and enable stakeholders in Peru to experience the benefits as well.
It was initially challenging to start a GEM Team in Peru as the project wasn’t as well-known compared to her former institution in Chile. However, María-José knocked on many doors and was able to convince organisations to sponsor the research and fill the entrepreneurship data void.
“Consider the informal entrepreneurial economy in Peru,” María-José said. “Is it 10%? Is it 20%? Nobody knows. I tried to explain that we can’t improve what can’t be measured.”
The pitch worked. Neurometrics (market intelligence company) and Núcleo Perú (a research initiative to create innovative solutions for pressing global challenges) agreed to fund the research.
Why It Matters
With this financial support, María-José has been able to mobilize a team of colleagues. For the first time since 2018, Peru is part of GEM. The team will take part in this year's GEM National Expert Survey with the results being included in the Global Innovation Index published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Peru will be a full GEM team for 2025.
The team’s research will:
- Provide data that will help shape public policies in Peru
- Improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country
- Contribute to achieving sustainable development goals in Peru
- Show the impact of the informal entrepreneurial economy (business not officially registered)
“Peruvians are very hard workers; the entrepreneurs in this country are quite unique,” explained María-José.
Meet the Team
The GEM Peru team’s research will be carried out through Núcleo de Investigación y Educación en Sustentabilidad Empresarial. In addition to María-José, the team includes José Carlos Véliz, Julián Díaz, and Nicolás Núñez – all full-time professors at Centrum PUCP. The team members are highly motivated by the positive impact that GEM can bring to society, and they are committed to using their expertise to generate data that will help shape policies and improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Peru. The project is also supported by Centrum PUCP and its Observatorio de Innovación y Sostenibilidad.
María-José concluded: “A data-driven approach can lead to structural changes. We are motivated by science and to provide data that makes an impact in public policies.”
Want to be part of GEM? Form a team in your country. Applications from teams in Africa and Asia are particularly welcome. Email info@gemconsortium.org.