Hugo Kantis, born in Argentina, is an administrator, economist, and specialist in entrepreneurship. He is the founder and director of Prodem, an organization focused on the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He teaches undergraduate courses, analyzes public and entrepreneurship policies, and is the author of a book and several academic publications addressing dynamic entrepreneurship, ecosystems, and comparative approaches.
At present, Kantis is regarded as an authoritative voice in discussions on public policy and its connection with the business sector. This role reflects the work he has carried out since 2001/02 through Prodem, an organization that has promoted entrepreneurship for many years, even before technological convergence and digital processes accelerated entrepreneurial dynamics, as he has explained.
Kantis earned degrees in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Buenos Aires. He later completed a PhD in Business Creation, Strategy, and Management at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. At the National University of General Sarmiento, where he serves as a faculty member, he created a master’s program specializing in SMEs linked to entrepreneurship.
Within UNGS, he also coordinates the entrepreneurship research area. In multiple interviews, Kantis has described how entrepreneurship has evolved over time, outlining its different stages within Argentina’s historical context. Today, his field of expertise has gained large-scale relevance.
Prodem, Hugo Kantis’s main project
“Prodem allowed us to promote a systemic approach that accounts for the specific context in which entrepreneurship develops in Latin American countries,” Kantis stated when referring to the creation of Prodem, an organization with a broad focus on dynamic entrepreneurship across the region.
In another interview, he noted that when Prodem was founded in 2001, the term entrepreneurship was not yet as established as it is today, and that technological convergence played a key role in accelerating the process. He specifically pointed to the convergence of internet and mobile technologies.
Before the widespread acceptance of digital transformation, Kantis identified two driving forces that entered the scene: dynamic entrepreneurs operating in specific environments, and public policies combined with business dynamics. Between 2000 and 2015, universities and governments initiated the transformation, later joined by entrepreneurs and emerging firms.
Entrepreneurial dynamics are associated with innovation and the idea of introducing something new or different from what already exists. This perspective is linked to the concept of the “entrepreneurial ecosystem,” a framework developed by Kantis. Through Prodem, the organization draws on innovation and public policies driven by external forces and business activity, combining the innovative spirit of startups with the operational demands of established firms.
What has Kantis said about the difference between business and entrepreneurship?
Although both coexist within the entrepreneurial ecosystem he describes, Kantis is clear that “there are differences.” He emphasizes that most entrepreneurship occurs within a business context and that the initial phase of a company is typically rooted in an entrepreneurial process that later becomes integrated into a more structured organization.
Kantis refers to dynamic entrepreneurship, where innovation represents the core element shaping the business model. He notes that the reality of a design-oriented venture is not the same as that of a new biotechnology company or a digital technology firm.
He also explains that these differences, while complementary, represent one of the main challenges when aligning both sides and establishing a common starting point. Startups are dynamic ventures born with distinct and renewed value propositions. Many experts point out that risk is a constant presence in the entrepreneurial world.
“That is where another force or geological layer appears in the evolution of ecosystems,” Kantis explained, referring to the emergence of startups and new dynamics within the entrepreneurial ecosystem he analyzes.
Present
The entrepreneurial ecosystem is now an established reality and continues to evolve in response to new digital scenarios. In this context, Kantis has stressed that entrepreneurship, particularly through initiatives such as Prodem, requires substantial and continuous knowledge.
He has also noted that in Latin America there are still important sources of knowledge yet to be developed, and that new research questions constantly arise from emerging projects. This dynamism is enabled by organizations, universities, governments, public policies, the business environment, and the ecosystem itself, which continues to expand.
