Nesta Sparks is a series of informal learning sessions where we share our practical knowledge around different ways to innovate. We're running monthly talks where you can hear from Nesta staff about different innovation approaches we’re using and what we’ve been learning.

In our second session, Tris Dyson, Executive Director of the Challenge Prize Centre, talked about challenge-driven innovation and its role in stimulating new enterprise and endeavour to find solutions to some of the most difficult challenges we face.

Today’s problems need diverse skills and creative thinking more than ever. Could challenge prizes that offer a financial reward, help incentive and stimulate solutions? From the Longitude Prize that helped British navigators 300 years ago to the 21st century Ansari X-Prize which started the race for commercial spaceflight, this historic method is regaining popularity as a powerful tool for innovation.

The aim of Nesta Sparks is to share learning both across Nesta and our networks and each session includes practical takeaways as well as an open Q&A.

Nesta Sparks is open to all who are interested in hearing about our approaches and experiences of innovating.