Innovation should start from top to down – this is proven. Shareholders and managers should understand and be ready to take risks in order to change the status quo.
First of all, we would like to thank Mr. Imran Baghirov, Project Lead at Apollo Project, for agreeing to respond to our questions.
1) Let us start from a brief introduction of Apollo Project and your role with it?
Starting from Baku, Azerbaijan it aims to become a hub for tech competencies, infrastructure and investments in the Caspian Sea region. It consists of several streams of activities targeting to build an engaged ecosystem of inter-operating blocks.
2) How important is innovation for achieving the objectives of Apollo Project? Please provide an example of innovation activity, service or product launched by your team?
Apollo project aims to build a technology cluster in Azerbaijan targeting the needs of the Caspian Sea region. It has ingredients as co-working space, acceleration, competence building, corporate innovation and other services.
3) Your profile states that the Apollo Project aims world class ecosystem facilitation. How important is to have the right ecosystem to facilitate innovation?
Ecosystem is very critical for innovation. You cannot build innovation standalone. Therefore the right ecosystem is what makes cities better places for startups or not.
4) In your opinion, what is the state of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan?
Innovation ecosystem is at its early stages in Azerbaijan. At this early stage we have to build a funnel of startups which will serve as a basis for our supply of potential deals. Startup funnel is achieved through building of competences as well as involving pre-seed capital. Regionally, we have better chances of becoming a hub for innovation due to many factors, including languages spoken, our cultural diversity and tolerance as well as advantageous geography and better international relationships.
5) Innovation has been recognized as the key enabler of every company’s competitiveness. What would be your advice for entrepreneurs on how to enable and sustain corporate innovation?
Innovation should start from top to down – this is proven. Shareholders and managers should understand and be ready to take risks in order to change the status quo. According to “The innovator’s dilemma”, one of the biggest problems facing the companies when innovating is giving up current stable revenue streams or risking them in face of innovative actions. Of course every new technology is associated with risks therefore not many companies are aligned with it.
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Project Lead