Leonardo Costa has been a member of the faculty at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Católica Porto Business School, since 1998.
In 1990, he graduated in agronomic engineering ‑ agricultural economics specialty ‑ from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) in Lisbon, and in 1993 he completed his master's degree in agricultural economics and rural sociology at the same Institute. In 2001, he earned a PhD in economics from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States of America, and became an assistant professor.
He has research interests and publications in the areas of development studies, agricultural economics and natural resources, innovation, and macroeconomics.