Publications

Nesta's world-leading research is helping to expand understanding of how innovation works best in the UK, and how policy can best support it.

We publish our findings in detailed research reports, all of which are available as downloadable PDFs below.

Reports

Doctor Know: A knowledge commons in health
March 2013
This report argues the health system isn’t making the most of the information revolution that has transformed other fields, and sets out the case for an information revolution in healthcare.
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Hyper Island UK
March 2013
This report follows the journey of 16 of UK students (aged 18–24) who took part in the Hyper Island programme - an educational model developed in Sweden which prepares young people for a career in the digital and interactive media industry.
—Read more about Hyper Island UK

Making It Work
October 2012
This report makes the case for innovation in the jobs market and sets out how a more systematic approach could be taken.
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Hack yourself: measuring well-being
May 2012
The summary provides details on the Hot Topics event on Quantified Self.
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Five Hours a Day
February 2013
This report makes the case for a systematic look at how we live in an ageing society, to create models of living and working fit for the future.
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Making Evidence Useful: The case for new institutions
March 2013
This paper outlines why the ‘What Works’ evidence centres are needed and the role they will play.
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Destination Local research: UK demand for hyperlocal media
April 2013
This report looks at the demand for and use of hyperlocal media services in the UK.
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Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture: Case studies from the pilot
February 2013
This publication is a compilation of brief case studies, capturing the main learning points of each pilot project from the Digital Research and Development Fund for Arts and Culture.
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Systems Innovation Discussion Paper
January 2013
This paper is intended to generate discussion around the topic of Systems Innovation, which we are defining as an interconnected set of innovations, where each influences the other, with innovation both in the parts of the system and in the ways in which they interconnect.
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Foreign Direct Innovation
October 2012
This report examines the effect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on job creation, business innovation and innovation in the supply chain.
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Working towards People Powered Health
November 2012
This paper offer insights from a range of experts – clinical, academic, policy as well as commissioners and service providers – on the relationship between co-production and workforce culture.
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Decoding Learning report
Our Decoding Learning report finds proof of technology supporting effective learning, emerging technologies that show promise of impact, and exciting teacher practice that displays the potential for effective digital education.
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The Business Case for People Powered Health
April 2013
This paper describes the specific investments required to create services with a People Powered Health approach, and the practical benefits that can be achieved as a result.
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A Dynamic Mapping of the UK's Creative Industries
December 2012
This paper presents an improved methodology for the classification of creative industries from the one currently used by the UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
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Crowding In
December 2012
This report looks at how the UK’s businesses, charities, government, and financial system can make the most of crowd funding
—Read more about Crowding In

Prototyping in Public Services
November 2011
A guide to prototyping for policymakers, strategy leads, heads of service, commissioners and anyone else in a public service looking for new ways to better meet the needs of their communities
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Collective Intelligence draft paper
October 2011
We've just published a draft of our Collective Intelligence paper on Google - it's open for comments, so let us know what you think and share your ideas with us.
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Amplified Leicester: Impact on social capital and cohesion
July 2010
Amplified Leicester is a city-wide experiment designed to grow the innovation capacity of Leicester across the city's disparate and diverse communities, and to share new skills which are fast becoming essential in 21st century workplaces and communities.
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Venture Capital: Now and After the Dotcom Crash
July 2010
This report examines how high growth, innovative companies are disproportionately important for economic growth in the UK.
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Transforming Early Years Learning Summary
October 2011
The paper provides a summary of the findings from the Transforming Early Years programme
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