Undergraduate and postgraduate students at Edinburgh Futures Institute collaborate with real-world practitioners on tackling the global challenges of our time. These initiatives highlight our commitment to interdisciplinary and experiential learning, at the same time recognising the important role of student research in shaping our futures.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, three Futures Institute postgraduate students partnered with Nesta, UK’s innovation agency for social good, on live challenge-led projects for their final Futures Projects, exploring how emerging technologies can enhance institutional intelligence and innovation. Below, our students and the Head of Data Science for Discovery and Innovation at Nesta share their experience of innovating together:
Bárbara Ferrer Lanz, MSc Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics
Project title – Towards Ethical Navigation: An Ethical Foresight Framework for Assessing the Risks and Opportunities of Emerging AI Across Nesta ’s Missions
“Working with Nesta allowed me to connect mission-oriented innovation, futures studies, and AI ethics, translating theory into practice for social good. Together we co-designed a framework grounded in AI ethics to anticipate risks and opportunities posed by AI across Nesta’s missions: Healthy Life, Fairer Start, and Sustainable Future. This Futures Project reflects the interdisciplinary spirit of the MSc in Data and AI Ethics at Edinburgh Futures Institute, equipping me to navigate complex sociotechnical systems in ways aligned with public needs. It has also opened a new career pathway in the anticipatory governance of AI and emerging technologies.”
Konstantin Strömel, MSc Future Governance
Project Title – Enhancing Policy Analysis Through LLM-Enabled Horizon Scanning
“Working with Nesta’s policy team was a highlight of my Master’s. I enjoyed the structured, practice-oriented collaboration and felt like a true part of their team, contributing to work with real-world impact. This project sits at the core of the Future Governance programme, exploring how technology and data can shape the future of policy and democracy. By taking a user-centred, participatory approach, my qualitative research bridged technical innovation and policy realities, directly reflecting the Institute’s ethos of co-creative, interdisciplinary work. The experience gave me valuable insight and hands-on skills for my future career in the innovation and policy sector.”
Diego Pascual Villegas, MSc Circular Economy
Project Title – Heat pump innovation through a circular economy lens: Analysing technological pathways for sustainable heating systems
“It was a privilege to work with such talented colleagues who welcomed us into Nesta’s Discovery team. Encountering a data science mindset while exploring emerging AI applications was genuinely inspiring, and this approach aligns with a mission that supports both people and the environment.
Academically, it connected my MSc in Circular Economy by integrating AI-driven analysis of heat pump innovation with circular principles, which is an emerging application. Addressing the circularity of refrigerants, one of the technology’s greatest challenges, has sharpened my focus on its management, equipping me with practical tools and a research workflow for future professional roles.”
Karlis Kanders, Head of Data Science for Discovery and Innovation at Nesta
“This is Nesta’s second year partnering with Edinburgh Futures Institute, and we greatly value the fresh energy and perspectives that students bring to our work. The programme enables us to test ideas and explore new research directions, and it’s been immensely rewarding to collaborate on projects ranging from developing AI-powered tools for policymakers, to advancing our foresight methods for evaluating the social and ethical impact of AI, to mapping innovation in heat pump technology using LLM-driven patent analysis. The insights generated through these challenge projects will help us drive impact across Nesta’s three missions: a fairer start, a healthy life, and a sustainable future.
We encourage future students at the Institute to get involved in challenge projects, as they offer a hands-on opportunity to contribute to purposeful, real-world work. Students bring fresh thinking and creativity to our teams, while gaining practical experience and insights into how innovation is applied in public policy and mission-driven contexts. It’s a chance to learn, contribute, and collaborate meaningfully.”
Learn more about our Student Challenge projects
If you’d like to get involved with our Student Challenge projects, get in touch with Katie Murray at katie.murray@ed.ac.uk
