Lidia is an expert in innovation and competitiveness at IDEA Consult. Her main interests focus on R&I policies and topics related to human capital for innovation. She obtained a PhD in Social and Political Sciences at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 2015, where she also worked as post-doctoral researcher on the determinants of institutional reforms in Europe. During her doctoral studies she did a research stay at the Nijmegen School of Management (Radboud Universiteit). Prior to moving to Brussels she worked as a data analyst at the Spanish Ministry of Education, and as a researcher at the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) and at the Centre for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences (CEACS) of the Juan March Institute.

In addition to her studies in sociology and political science, she also holds a master degree on applied statistics and a master degree on statistical learning and data mining. She has extensive experience in the setup and implementation of complex surveys, indicator development and statistical analysis. She has applied quantitative and qualitative methods throughout her professional career and she has advanced skills in the evaluation and monitoring of public policies and initiatives.