# Nesta unveils 10-year strategy to harness innovation for good of millions

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/03/03/nesta-unveils-10-year-strategy-to-harness-innovation-for-good-millions/
- Published: 2021-03-03T09:44:59+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Nesta has this week launched a ten-year strategy with the aim of harnessing innovation
to change the lives of millions.**

[Nesta](https://www.nesta.org.uk/) will work in partnership with government, industry,
academia and the public, private and voluntary sectors to design, test and scale
innovations, focusing on three defining societal challenges:

 1. A fairer start – aiming to narrow the outcome gap between young children growing
    up in disadvantage and the national average, with a goal of eliminating the school
    readiness gap between those born into deprivation and their peers by 2030.
 2. A healthy life – aiming to increase the average number of healthy years lived in
    the UK while narrowing health inequalities, with a goal of halving obesity by 2030.
 3. A sustainable future – aiming to accelerate the decarbonisation of household activities
    in the UK, with a goal by 2030 of the UK having reduced household carbon emissions
    by 28% from 2019 levels and being on track to reach zero by 2048.

Ravi Gurumurthy, Chief Executive of Nesta, (pictured) said:

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> “Over the past decade, Nesta has developed methods and capabilities that can drive
> innovation for social good. Today, we know far more about how to mobilise and 
> influence citizens, harness data, and use private and public capital more creatively.
> “In our next chapter, we will be focused on applying those capabilities to three
> defining questions facing the UK: how we build a sustainable economy, how we give
> every child a fair start, and how we help people live healthy lives. Each requires
> new ways of working, new products and services, new business models, and new ways
> of engaging citizens.
> “By working with a diverse network of partners in the public, private and voluntary
> sectors, we will generate ideas, test them rigorously, and help them grow to scale.”

Nesta has identified three new ways of working: as an innovation partner working
with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions hand in hand with 
those who will use them; as a venture builder, creating, supporting and investing
in early-stage ventures to develop new solutions and to shift key markets; and as
a system shaper, influencing policy, practice and funding, to support and promote
innovation.

Gurumurthy continued:

> “We hope our work can directly lead to solutions that change the lives of millions
> of people, as well as shaping the policies, institutions and thinking that guide
> innovation. We look forward to sharing our successes and failures, and learning
> together.”

The full strategy can be accessed [on Nesta’s site](http://www.nesta.org.uk/full-strategy).

 * **[Nesta report highlights what is holding charities back in using digital technology](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/10/15/nesta-report-highlights-holding-charities-back-using-digital-technology/)**(
   15 October 2014)
 * **[10 points I learned about developing ‘Tech for Good’](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/10/22/10-points-learned-developing-tech-good/)**(
   22 October 2014)
 * **[Museum festival & prison record label among latest recipients of Nesta loans](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/08/09/museum-festival-prison-record-label-among-latest-recipients-of-nesta-loans/)**(
   9 August 2019)