Innovation Challenges

By Bradley Busetto

Bradley Busetto, Director, UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development, discusses how innovation challenges can be used to crowdsource inexpensive and rapid solutions to the problems faced by the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. He highlights the COVID-19 Detect and Protect Challenge, a joint innovation challenge launched in mid-April by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Hackster.io. The lesson concludes with a discussion of the lessons learned from the challenge and how open innovation serves to link global collaboration with local action.