Submitted by Administrator on Thu, 30/03/2017 - 13:53
Last week, a cross-disciplinary group of 12 Egyptian Researchers & Entrepreneurs worked together with 12 Cambridge Researchers & Entrepreneurs to find innovative ways of addressing the challenge of Agricultural Waste in Egypt.
Agri-Inno was a three-day GCRF funded workshop, led by Professor Alison Smith (Department of Plant Sciences) and delivered by the JBS Entrepreneurial Centre, in collaboration with CambPlants, the Cambridge Global Food Security Initiative and the British Antarctic Survey. It was an exciting week where participants from Egypt and Cambridge were taken out of their comfort zones and thrown into a series of challenges designed to unlock their innovative and enterprising spirit.
Guest speakers from the Department of Plant Sciences, Zoology, the Institute for Manufacturing, NIAB and several Agri-Tech start-up companies provided information and inspiration, and small interdisciplinary groups were supported through a series of challenges and discussions. After talks, networking, tours and team games, the groups pitched their new business ideas - based around solving an agri-waste problem - to a panel of investors, scientific experts and business professionals.
A final dinner at Pembroke College was a chance to talk more with new friends, and our after-dinner speaker Gavin Mulligan, Sustainability Director of William Jackson Food group, gave an overview of current sustainability issues in the food value chain.
Thank you to all who participated and made this week so memorable!
More photos and comments from participants are available here.