Welcome to my professional webpage!
As an economist I am interested in the competitiveness of the Spanish and EU economies and the related policies on issues such as internationalisation, regulation, public sector reform, R&D and innovation, and sustainability management.
I am Associate Professor (Professor Titular) at the Department of Economics and Finance at IQS School of Management, Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona). I am also Policy Research Fellow in the Public-Private Sector Research Center at IESE Business School and I collaborate regularly with COTEC, Funcas and UNESCO ESCI-UPF Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change.
From 2004 to 2024 I have been Associate Professor and Research Director (2015-2023) at ESCI-Universitat Pompeu Fabra. From January 2009 to December 2011 I was on leave serving as Senior Economic Policy Advisor at the Spanish Prime Minister Economic Bureau.
My CV can be downloaded from here and my IQS webpage is this one.
Education
2005 PhD Economics, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
2003 "Marie Curie" Research Fellow, University of Munich (LMU).
1998 MSc Economics and Philosophy, London School of Economics.
1997 BA Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
Main contributions to Spanish Government economic policy
Economic Report of the President of Spain 2010 (in Spanish). Main author of the chapter on competitiveness and internationalization.
Economic Report of the President of Spain 2009 (in Spanish). Co-author of the chapter on innovation.
Spain National Reform Programme 2010-2011 Co-author.
Spain National Reform Programme 2009 (in Spanish). Co-author.
Books
Competitividad y evolución de la balanza por cuenta corriente en España. Joint with Xavier Cuadras and Jordi Puig (2009). Colección Estudios, 216, Ed. Consejo Económico y Social.
Work in progress
One Reform for All? Firms’ responses to structural reforms (with Elena Golovko)
Biased Advice in Dynamic Consulting (with Markus Reisinger)
Bridging the Green Budgeting Gap: Comparing Green Budgeting Practices in Late Beginners (Spain, Portugal, Greece) and Early Adopters (Sweden); Green Budgeting as a Catalyst for Private Innovation (with Yulia Kasperskaya)
Misty Sunrise: The Institutional Logics of Solar Energy Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Togo and Burkina Faso (with Roberto Cantoni, Alex Alterskye, Alfonso Hernández Vivanco, and Marco Cuvero)
Papers in journals with impact factor
Competitiveness, structural reforms and public management
Kasperskaya, Y., Xifré, R. (2024). New development: Income and gender equality, Spanish spending reviews and public values. Public Money & Management, 44(8), 719-722.
Xifré, R. (2021). Non-Price Competitiveness Factors - A simple measure and an application to the five largest euro area countries. The World Economy, 44(11), 3091-3110.
Xifré, R. (2020). The Political Value of Internal Devaluation in the Euro Aarea crisis. Global Policy, 11(4), 466-477.
Kasperskaya, Y, Xifré, R (2020). Analytical capacity in budgetary administrations: the case of the euro Area, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 32(3), 379-398.
Xifré, R (2020) Eloquent Silence: Civil Service Career Development in the EU Financial Assistance Programmes Conditionality, Public Money & Management, 40(8), 607-610.
Kasperskaya, Y, Xifré, R (2019) Reform or Resist? The tale of two fiscal reforms in Spain after the crisis, Public Money & Management, Vol. 39, No. 7, 494-502.
Trillas, F, Xifré, R (2016) Institutional reforms to integrate regulation and competition policy: Economic analysis, international perspectives, and the case of the CNMC in Spain, Utilities Policy, Vol. 40, 75-87.
Sustainability management
Campos C, Dias A, Gallego M, Gutiérrez D, Quinteiro P, Villanueva-Rey P, Oliveira S, Albertí J, Bala A, Fullana-i-Palmer P, Fullana-Puig M, Melón M, Sazdovski I, Rodríguez E, Roca M, Xifré X, Laso J, Margallo M, Aldaco R (2025). Tool for Greener Tourism: Evaluating Environmental Impacts. Sustainability 17 (8).
Arfelis, S, Malpartida, I, Bala, A, Lair, V, Xifré, R, Aguado, R, Delgado-Aguilar, M, Pardhuhn, J, Sazdovski, I, Fullana-i-Palmer, P (2024). Wood Chips Components Separation with a New Wet-Milling Process Compared to Chemical Depolymerization: A Technical, Economic, and Environmental Comparison. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 12, 5105-5116.
Campos, C, Dias, AC , Quinteiro, P, D Guitérrez, Villanueva-Rey, P, Gallego, M, Oliveira, S, Laso, J, Albertí, J, Bala, A, Fullana-i-Palmer, P, Mélon, L, Fullana, M, Sazdovski, I, Roca, M, Xifré, R, Margallo, M, Aldaco, R (2024). Assessing the environmental impacts of three different types of accommodations in Portugal and Spain by using an LCA approach. Science of The Total Environment. Vol. 927, 172230.
Campos, C., Gutiérrez, D., Dias, A. C., Quinteiro, P., Herrero, Á., Gallego, M., Villanueva-Rey, P., Laso, J., Albertí, J., Fullana-i-Palmer, P., Bala, A., Mélon, L., Fullana, M., Sazdovski, I., Roca, M., Xifré, R., Margallo, M., & Aldaco, R. (2024). ‘Small-scale’ tourism versus traditional tourism: Which will be the new key to achieve the desired sustainable tourism? Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 912, 168964.
Campos, C, Gallego, M, Villanueva, P, Laso, J, Dias, AC, Quinteiro, P, Oliveira, S, Albertí, J, Fullana-i-Palmer, P, Mélon, L, Sazdovski, I, Roca, M, Xifré, R, Margallo, M, Aldaco, R (2023). Life cycle assessment to address the environmental impacts of tourism in a Spanish tourist destination: The case of Rias Baixas (Galicia) holidays. Science of The Total Environment. Vol. 896, 166242.
Serra-Parareda, F., R. Aguado, S. Arfelis, R. Xifré, P. Fullana-i-Palmer, M. Delgado-Aguilar (2022). Techno-economic and environmental evaluation of a market pulp reinforced with micro-/nanofibers as a strengthening agent in packaging paper. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 347, 131265.
Camps-Posino L., L. Batlle-Bayer, A. Bala, G. Song, H. Qian, R. Aldaco, R. Xifré, P. Fullana-i-Palmer (2021). Potential climate benefits of reusable packaging in food delivery services. A Chinese case study, Science of The Total Environment. Vol. 794, 148570
Batlle-Bayer, L; Bala, A; Albertí, J; Xifré, R; Aldaco, R; Fullana-i-Palmer, P (2020). Food affordability and nutritional values within the functional unit of a food LCA. An application on regional diets in Spain. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 160.
Commissioned reports
Xifré, R (2025). Spain’s knowledge economy and the NGEU: Recent progress and outstanding challenges. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 14, no. 2, 37–46. [Spanish version: La economía del conocimiento en España: evolución reciente y relación con el PRTR. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 305, 78–89]
Xifré, R (2025). Las exportaciones españolas de productos tecnológicos: análisis y propuestas. Nota Técnica, Club Exportadores e Inversores Españoles.
Xifré, R (2024). The evolution of Spain’s high-tech exports through 2023. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 13, no. 6, 25-36. [Spanish version: Las exportaciones españolas de alta tecnología: evolución hasta 2023. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 303, 67-77].
Xifré, R (2024). Business dynamism in Spain in the wake of recent crises. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 13, no. 3, 57-65. [Spanish version: El dinamismo empresarial después de las crisis recientes. Cuadernos de Información Económica, vol. 300, 89-98].
Xifré, R (2023). Industrial policy in the EU and Spain: Recent debates. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 12, no. 4, 55-62. [Spanish version: Política industrial en la UE y España: debates recientes. Cuadernos de Información Económica, vol. 295, 41-58]
Xifré, R (2023). Spain’s trade competitiveness relative to the eurozone. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 12, no. 1, 55-64. [Spanish version: La competitividad exterior de la economía española en relación con la eurozona, Cuadernos de Información Económica, vol. 292, 49-57].
Xifré, R (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on businesses and the self-employed. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 11, no. 3, 63-73. [Spanish version: El impacto de la crisis COVID-19 en empresas y autónomos. Cuadernos de Información Económica, vol. 288, 27-35].
Xifré, R (2021). An analysis of Spanish exports post-COVID-19: An opportunity in times of change?. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 10, n. 5, pp. 57-64. [Spanish version: Análisis del sector exterior español tras la COVID -19: ¿oportunidades en tiempos de cambios? Cuadernos de Información Económica, vol. 284, pp. 53-60.]
Xifré, R (2021). Spain’s business demographics post-COVID-19: An initial assessment. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 15-25. [Spanish version: Demografía empresarial pos-COVID: una primera aproximación. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 282, pp. 69-76].
Xifré, R (2020). The NGEU recovery package in Spain: Structural challenges and proposal analysis. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 15-25. [Spanish version: El plan NGEU: retos estructurales y revisión de propuestas. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 279, pp. 11-20] .
Xifré, R (2020). Spanish high-tech exports. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 9, no. 4, 63-70 [Spanish version: Las exportaciones españolas de alta tecnología. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 278, pp. 69-75].
Xifré, R (2019). Opening up of the Spanish economy: Recent performance and pending reforms, Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 8, no. 6, 55-66 [Spanish version: La internacionalización de la economía española: evolución reciente y reformas pendientes, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 274, 19-26.]
Xifré, R (2019). Business dynamism in Spain: Recent trends and outlook, Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 8, no. 4, 61-70 [Spanish version: Dinamismo empresarial en España: evolución reciente y perspectivas, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 271, 49-57]
Xifré, R (2018). The role of cost competitiveness in eurozone exports: Spain from a comparative sector perspective, Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 7, no. 6, 45-57 [Spanish version: El papel de la competitividad coste en las exportaciones de la eurozona: el caso de España en una perspectiva sectorial comparada, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 267, 27-38]
Xifré, R (2018). Spanish investment in R&D+I in the wake of the crisis: Public versus private sector, Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 7, no. 4, 67-79 [Spanish version: La inversión en I+D y la innovación después de la crisis: sector público y sector privado, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 265, 13-24].
Kasperskaya, Y, Xifré, R (2018). Assessing the role of Spain’s AIReF in the context of EU fiscal policy. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 7, no. 4, 61-73 [Spanish version: Los primeros años de actividad de la AIReF en el contexto del marco fiscal de la Unión Europea. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 264, 71-82]
Guinjoan, M.,Cuadras-Morató, Z, Gironella, A, Ribas, J, Xifré, R (2018). Metodologia d’anàlisi de l’impacte del TTIP sobre la Competència i la Competitivitat. Una perspectiva catalana. Commissioned by ACCO (Catalan Authority for Competition Policy).
Xifré, R (2017) Spain’s structural reforms: Remaining challenges for budget stability and the labour market. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 6, no. 6, 47-62 .[Spanish version: Retos pendientes en las reformas estructurales en España: estabilidad presupuestaria y mercado laboral. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 261, 41-56.]
Sastre, E (dir.), Rebollar, R, Alegret, A M, Ayuso, L, Salvador, J, Xifré, R (2017). La Dimensión Empresarial como factor de Competitividad. Instituto de la Empresa Familiar.
Xifré, R. (2017). Non-price competitiveness factors and export performance: The case of Spain in the context of the Euro area. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 6, no. 3, 55-66. [Spanish version: Competitividad y comportamiento de las exportaciones: España en el contexto de la eurozona. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 260, 27-37]
Xifré, R. (2017). The Relationship between the recovery in Spain's current account and labour productivitiy. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 6, no. 2. [Spanish version: La recuperación de la balanza por cuenta corriente en España y su relación con la productividad del trabajo. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 258, 1 - 14]
Xifré, R. (2016). The World Bank’s Doing Business in Spain 2015 report: Analysis and main conclusions. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 5, no. 6. [Spanish version: Doing Business en España 2015: Análisis de resultados. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 256]
Xifré, R. (2016). Spain’s business landscape: Structure, recent developments and remaining challenges. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 5, no. 3. [Spanish version: El tejido empresarial en España: estructura, evolución reciente y retos pendientes. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 252.]
Xifré, R. (2016). Spain's services economy: Outlook and challenges. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 5, no. 1, 59-67.
Salvador, J, Xifré, R (2016). Las reformas económicas del futuro: un nuevo modelo de crecimiento para España, Fundación Alternativas. Documento de Trabajo 193/2016.
Kasperskaya, Y, Xifré, R (2016). Gasto público en I+D+i en España: análisis y propuestas, with Yulia Kasperskaya (2016), Papeles de Economía Española, No. 147, 92-107.
Xifré, R (2015). The internationalisation of the Spanish economy: Progress, limitations and best practices. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 4, no. 6. [Spanish version: La internacionalización de la economía española: avances, limitaciones y mejores prácticas, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 249, 43-52.]
Xifré, R (2015). The redistributive impact of economic policy reforms: The case of Spain in the EU context. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 4, no. 4. [Spanish version: Efectos redistributivos de las reformas económicas: el caso de España en el contexto de la UE. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 247, 69-81.]
Xifré, R (2015) .Recent reforms in Spain´s business climate: Assessment and pending issues. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol.4, no. 2 [Spanish version: Reformas recientes del entorno de negocio de España: realizaciones y retos pendientes. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 245, 63-82.]
Xifré, R (2014). La internacionalización en la base de la pirámide empresarial española: análisis y propuestas (2014). Fundación Alternativas. Documento de Trabajo 189/2014.
Xifré, R (2014). R&D+I in Spain: Is the growth engine damaged?. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol.3, no. 6. [Spanish version: I+D+I en España: ¿está dañado el motor del crecimiento?, Cuadernos de Información Económica, 243, 83- 92.]
Xifré, R (2014). Four years of economic policy reforms in Spain: An analysis of results from an EU perspective. Spanish Economic and Financial Outlook, vol. 3, no. 5. [Spanish version: Cuatro años de reformas económicas en España: un análisis de los resultados desde la perspectiva de la UE. Cuadernos de Información Económica, 242, 49-57].
Estrada, A, Pons, A, Alegret, A, Baigés, R, Xifré, R (2013). El dinamismo empresarial en España: diagnóstico de situación y propuestas. Instituto de la Empresa Familiar.
Castany, L, Xifré, R (2009). Productividad, competitividad e innovación en España: Comparación internacional por sectores. Estudios Cotec, 36.
Puig, J, Xifré, R (2009). Umbrales de pobreza e ingresos salariales en Filipinas, México y Polonia. Una comparativa con España, Estudios Económicos de Desarrollo Internacional, Vol. 9-2.
Cuadras, X, Puig J, Xifré, R (2008). Evolució de la qualitat comparada de les exportacions catalanes. Government of Catalonia, Quaderns OME-ACC1O, no. 7.
Cuadras, X, Xifré, R (2007). Tendències comercials i oportunitats d’inversió als nous països de la UE. Government of Catalonia, Estudis OME-ACC1O, no. 8.
Papers on other topics
Mària, J F, Xifré, R (2018). Cataluña y España en la crisis del pacto constitucional: obstáculos para un reconocimiento profundo. Razón y Fe, t. 278, nº 1434, 49-62.
Mària, J F, Xifré, R (2018). Catalunya i Espanya: Entre el Reconeixement i la Negociació / Cataluña y España: Entre el Reconocimiento y la Negociación, Cristianisme i Justícia, Col·leció Virtual n. 15.
Research Projects as PI
Bridging the Green Budgeting Gap: Comparing Green Budgeting Practices in Late Beginners (Spain, Portugal, Italy) and Early Adopters (Sweden). PI joint with Yulia Kasperskaya. Independent Social Research Foundation. Small Group Project 2025-26.
SpanishReforms.com. Sponsored by PPSRC-IESE, FUNCAS, everis and ESCI-UPF. 2013 – 2018.
Las reformas económicas del futuro: un nuevo modelo de crecimiento para España. Fundación Alternativas, 2016.
La internacionalización en la base de la pirámide empresarial española: análisis y propuestas. Fundación Alternativas, 2013 - 2014.
Business Creation and Entrepreneurship in Spain. PI joint with Ángel Estrada. Instituto de la Empresa Familiar. 2012 – 2013.
Innovation, productivity and competitiveness. Sponsored by Fundacion Cotec for Innovation. 2007-2009.
Working papers
Overlooked in the Debate? Non-price Competitiveness in the Five Largest Euro Area Countries, IESE WP-1235-E (2020).
Internal Devaluation as a Commitment Device in the Euro Area Crisis, IESE WP-1234-E (2020).
Eloquent Silence: Civil Service Career Development in the EU Financial Assistance Programmes Conditionality, IESE WP-1233-E (2020).
The effectiveness of reforms in public sector accounting and financial management: the case of Spain, 2010-2015, joint with Yulia Kasperskaya. IESE WP-1159-E (2016).
Budget procedures and fiscal performance: evidence from OECD countries in the wake of the crisis, joint with Yulia Kasperskaya. IESE WP-1158-E (2016)
Spain in the wake of the crisis: Reforms or Adjustment? IESE WP-1141-E (2016).
Competition and Regulation Reforms in Spain in 2013: the CNMC - an international perspective. IESE WP-1108-E (2014).
The Competitiveness of the Spanish Economy. A bird's-eye view of the four largest Euro Area economies. IESE WP-1088-E (2014).
Teaching
In IQS Universitat Ramon Llull
Undergraduate: International Trade; Global Economy and 4.0; Country Risk Management.
Postgraduate: Strategic Analysis and Planning.
In ESCI - UPF
Undergraduate: Business Organization, International Economics, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Strategy.
Postgraduate and executive: International Risk Analysis, Financing of the Transition to Sustainability.
In UPF
Undergraduate: Strategic Management.
In Universiad Carlos III de Madrid
Undergraduate: Industrial Organization; International Economics; Game Theory; Advanced Game Theory.
Postgraduate: Game Theory for Finance and Business.
Communication and media in English
VOX columns
Fiscal discipline and budgetary analytical capacity in the euro area, joint with Yulia Kasperskaya (2020).
Spain in the wake of the crisis: Reforms versus adjustment August 2016
No miracles in southern Eurozone without resource reallocation September 2014
Communication and media in Catalan and Spanish
Funcas Blog
Blog entries: here
Video ¿Una recuperación solida? (2017)
Video Una hoja de ruta para las reformas del nuevo gobierno (2016)
Entries in the Nada es Gratis blog
Una recuperación sin I+D (2015)
Entries in 5centims.cat blog
Entry in Cristianisme i Justícia blog
Catalunya i Espanya: entre el reconeixment i la negociació / Cataluña y España: entre el reconocimiento y la negociación (2018)
Media and popular press
The Spanish Reforms project
With the support from of FUNCAS, PPSRC-IESE and Xavier Vives, I started up the Spanish Reforms project in 2013 and it was active until 2018. The project provided an independent monitoring of the status of the economic policy reforms adopted in Spain and kept track of recommendations for reform offered by the IMF, European Commission and the OECD. One of the outcomes was the release of six Reform Monitors, which was made possible thanks to generous contribution of some of most distinguished Spanish economists. The following Reform Monitors were released:
Reform Monitor No.1, February 2014
Reform Monitor No. 2, May 2014
Reform Monitor No. 3, November 2014
Reform Monitor No. 4, May 2015
Reform Monitor No. 5, April 2016
Reform Monitor No. 6, December 2017
Contact information
Ramon Xifré
IQS School of Management
Via Augusta 390
08017 Barcelona (Spain)
email: ramon.xifre@iqs.url.edu