Olivier Usher
www.nesta.org.uk/team/olivier-usher/
www.nesta.org.uk/team/olivier-usher/
Lead, Research and Impact
Oli leads Nesta Challenges’ research team. He helps to identify promising areas for innovation and choose the most impactful focus for new prizes.
He has played a role in the development of much of our portfolio of prizes including the Mobility Unlimited Challenge and Open Up. He has also overseen research projects into potential prizes that haven’t (yet) seen the light of day ranging from aquaculture in India to whale conservation in the Atlantic: watch this space.
Alongside work on Nesta Challenges programmes, he has advised governments in Europe, North America and the Middle East, as well as the European Commission, on how to maximise the impact of their challenge prize programmes.
Prior to joining Nesta, he worked in science public relations, including a period as Public Information Officer for an ESA centre in Munich, where he coordinated European media relations for the Hubble Space Telescope.
Outside of work, he enjoys baking sourdough bread, drinking Belgian beer and learning Italian.
You can follow him on Twitter @ojusher
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