"Innovation and Entrepreneurship In The Periphery: Luis Romero Soto (1873-1964) And The Industrialization Of Corn Tortilla Production in Mexico"

This paper will address that Luis Romero Soto, engineer and inventor, faced to transform his inventions on corn tortilla machinery into successful business. Romero Soto makes a perfect fit of the Schumpeterian entrepreneur. Through his life he registered more than 200 patents and created around 15 firms mostly devoted to the industrial production of corn tortillas, Mexico’s main staple. Although he was able to sell his machinery and obtain moderate business success, his accomplishments fell short from what he envisioned. The availability of several documents his family donated to the Mexican national archives, allow us to explore the career of this inventor-entrepreneur, and analyze the several obstacles that the Mexican context placed against his feat. Through their study, this paper will explore the difficulties that the economic and political environment of countries in the periphery, such as Mexico, place upon business and how they shape their structure and strategies.