About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

The Global Innovation Policy Accelerator is a collaborative development programme for innovation policy leaders and managers.

Governments around the world are seeking more effective approaches to fostering innovation. Ensuring innovation policymakers have the right skills, insights, tools, evidence and networks to help design, implement, evaluate and improve innovation policies is essential if these policies are to have the desired impacts on economic growth and social challenges.

We're partnering with Innovate UK and a unique team of academic, public and private sector organisations to lead the design and delivery of a tailor-made development programme for innovation policymakers in a range of emerging economies around the world.

In many areas, the UK is seen as a global leader on innovation policy issues and in leadership capacity building. Yet there is a global shortage of resources, professional development and peer-support networks for public officials tasked with designing and implementing better support for innovation.

By bringing together a strong network of UK experts around an innovative, system-wide capacity building programme, Nesta aims to increase the level of international collaboration on innovation policy and support the development of other countries’ innovation systems.

How does it work?

The Global Innovation Policy Accelerator programme is funded through the UK government’s Newton Fund and delivers executive development to national cohorts of senior policymakers from the main innovation institutions, while strengthening the implementation capabilities of their teams.

The programme is delivered by a consortium of leading UK expert organisations including the universities of Manchester and Oxford, and innovation and design expert consultants 100% Open and Uscreates.

We are also working with local partner organisations in each of the countries the programme is delivered in. These local partnerships are essential to our ability to fully grasp and navigate each of the unique national innovation systems we are working with.

This programme has the potential to make a real difference to national innovation systems and drive greater inclusive economic development.

Project partners

Team

Kirsten Bound

Kirsten Bound

Kirsten Bound

Executive Director of Research, Analysis and Policy

Kirsten was an Executive Director at Nesta and led Nesta’s Research, Analysis and Policy team.

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Benjamin Reid

Benjamin Reid

Benjamin Reid

Head of International Innovation - Development Programmes

Benjamin was head of the International Innovation team within Nesta's Policy and Research division.

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Alex Glennie

Alex Glennie

Alex Glennie

Senior Policy Manager

Alex is a Senior Policy Manager in the Innovation Growth Lab (IGL).

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Paulina Gonzalez-Ortega

Paulina Gonzalez-Ortega

Paulina Gonzalez-Ortega

Design Lead, International Innovation

Paulina was the Design Lead for the Global Innovation Policy Accelerator, a 14-country collaborative development programme for senior innovation policymakers.

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Florence Engasser

Florence Engasser

Florence Engasser

Senior Foresight Analyst

Florence was a senior foresight analyst within Nesta’s Discovery Hub, which aims to create a link between Nesta’s current portfolio and our pipeline of future work.

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Juan Casasbuenas

Juan Casasbuenas

Juan Casasbuenas

Curriculum and Content Manager

Juan was a Curriculum and Content Manager supporting the Digital Frontrunners and Global Innovation Policy Accelerator programmes.

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Anna Schlimm

Anna Schlimm

Anna Schlimm

Learning Experience Designer, Global Innovation Policy Accelerator

Anna was a Learning Experience Designer for the Global Innovation Policy Accelerator.

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