Our team
Dr Umut Ekmekci is a lecturer and consultant with over two decades of international experience spanning academia and industry. Since 2001, he has worked extensively in the fields of innovation, strategy, and leadership, integrating academic research with applied business practice.
He has held full-time and visiting lecturer and researcher positions at several prestigious institutions, including Istanbul Technical University (Türkiye), Sabancı University, the Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI), the University of Sussex – Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) in the United Kingdom, and Tampere University in Finland.
Dr Ekmekci also has significant professional experience as a consultant and corporate trainer in both Germany and Türkiye, having collaborated with over 100 companies across diverse sectors. His consulting and training activities have centred on innovation and technology strategy, organisational transformation, and leadership development. He has guided senior executives and project teams in identifying strategic capabilities, designing technology roadmaps, and implementing innovation processes aligned with long-term organisational goals.
Since joining BSBI in July 2024, Dr Ekmekci has contributed to the academic community through teaching, mentoring, and facilitating project-based learning. His teaching portfolio covers topics including Innovation, Product Design, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, and Leadership. His academic approach emphasises experiential learning, creative problem-solving, and the integration of design methodologies into strategic management education.
Drawing on his interdisciplinary expertise, Dr Ekmekci bridges theoretical knowledge with real-world application. His professional and academic interests converge around design thinking, human-centred innovation, and the impact of emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—on creativity, education, and the future of work.
He is deeply committed to connecting research with practice, supporting students and professionals in developing the strategic and creative capabilities necessary for sustainable growth. His work reflects a continuous effort to foster collaboration between academia and industry, contributing to a more holistic understanding of innovation management in contemporary organisations.