Innovation in the Caucasus – Part III - Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, the land of fire, has a long history of extracting oil and natural gas, dating back to the 9th century A.D. Today, the capital city of Baku is one of the most pedestrian-friendly in the world, with a 16-kilometer-long pedestrian-only zone known as the Bulvar. Innovations in Azerbaijan extend beyond the oil industry, including the Sheki Khan Palace with its stained glass windows, clay floors that regulate temperature, and gravestones designed to collect water for wild animals. The Nobels' oil production company Branobel was once the second largest oil company in the world, and Dmitri Mendeleev designed a pipeline from Baku to Batumi while also researching the coal and petroleum industries. The innovator can learn from the Nobels' willingness to shift resources towards promising opportunities and Mendeleev's approach of balancing practical solutions with groundbreaking concepts.