Tech Diplomacy Global 50

Prof. Claudio Feijoo

Jean Monnet Chair on Tech Diplomacy,Technical University of Madrid
Spain

Claudio Feijóo holds an MSc and PhD in Telecommunication Engineering and an MSc in Quantitative Economics. He is full professor at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) where he is the holder of a Jean Monnet Chair on technology diplomacy and digital sovereignty. He has also led AI4Gov, an EU project on AI for public services (EU Digital Skills Award, 2023) and is co-leading its continuation, AI4Gov-X, extending its impact from AI into data spaces and the digital transformation of the public sector.

At academia, he teaches on geopolitics of technology, strategic management, open innovation and entrepreneurship and pursues research on the future socio-economic impact of emerging technologies. From 2014 to 2020, his key responsibility was to reach agreements for cooperation and launch joint research and innovation projects with the best technology universities in Asia while living in Shanghai.

He also set up XiJi Incubator, the first incubation program for Spanish-related entrepreneurs in China (El Mundo, Universities International Award, 2020). From 2020 to 2025, he was the Director for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UPM, leading programs on education, launch and acceleration of tech-based startups and spin-offs. Claudio has also worked on assignments on five continents for main international institutions.

His employment record includes spells at the European Commission (mobile content and applications, universal service) and the Spanish Ministry of Industry (rural broadband deployment, information society strategy). He is member of Spain’s expert groups on tech transfer and has been / is independent member of the investment committee of the main deep-tech public funds in Spain (ICO NextTech and SETT). He also has a 20+ years’ background as founder and mentor of startups and is experienced in managing the implementation of innovative projects.

He regularly lectures at international seminars and for postgraduate courses. His two latest books address the role of technology innovations within international geo-strategy looking into the role of China (“El gran sueño de China”, KnowSquare Award, 2023) and a sociological approach to life in modern China (“La ciudad antes del mar”, Tecnos, 2025).