Kebabs: An update on the first “Tea with the Prof” - Innovation is where you find it

If you took part in the first session of “Tea with the Prof” TM you’ll know we were exploring some of the stereotypes around innovation and entrepreneurship. (If not, well, we missed you but you can catch up on some of it on our site). The types of industries and business characterised as innovative have been stereotyped to particular sectors, affecting perceptions of who is innovative and what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Just as a reminder to me that you should never take that sort of thing for granted, I spotted a news item on the world’s first kebab trade fair. As a vegetarian, I’ve never actually eaten a kebab, donner or otherwise, but if you’d asked me to guess then I think I’d have said that Turkey might dominate the industry. Not so, Germany now holds that crown, hence its hosting of the kebab world trade fair. And would you have guessed that it had a reported 2.5 billion annual turnover?

Ah, but where does innovation come in you might ask? Well, a highlight of the show was reported to be a remote-controlled donner robot, using a digital camera to guide a blade through the meat, which claims to improve hygiene, reduce costs and accidents from the traditional methods. If you’re at least expecting the inventor to be Turkish, think again. The Donner Robot is produced by entrepreneur Ahmet Kalyoncu, Cypriot-born with Vietnamese heritage.

Once again, who does innovation and how they do it might surprise you! It could even be you. Have your say at in the comments below.

Catch up with us at the next “Tea with the Prof” TM on 22nd June 9-10.30am at Steelcase Solutions. It will focus on how entrepreneurs identify and exploit opportunities.