Building Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems
Client
Inclusive Innovation (II) + UKRI Physics Collaboration Projects
Sector
Global Development / Innovation / Scientific Collaboration
Challenge
Traditional innovation models often exclude rural communities, women, and underrepresented disciplines. Inclusive Innovation (II) sought to change that, by convening diverse stakeholders to co-create sustainable solutions tied to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As part of a high-level collaboration between UK and African physicists, II partnered with Alchemy Inspiration to help facilitate cross-continental projects around climate resilience, healthcare, and sustainable energy.
Our Approach
Alchemy Inspiration facilitated multi-stakeholder innovation labs grounded in equity, cultural sensitivity, and psychological safety.
We ensured participants regardless of background, felt confident and included in shaping breakthrough ideas. Our sessions encouraged systems thinking, curiosity, and context awareness, with tools adapted to scientific, academic, and community language.
We asked:
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What does innovation look like in rural Lesotho vs urban London?
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How do we bridge academic knowledge with lived experience?
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How do we build projects that are both globally ambitious and locally relevant?
The Shift
Participants moved from siloed thinking to shared vision. UK and African scientists began co-authoring ideas, pooling expertise, and respecting knowledge across disciplines and borders.
What began as “research collaboration” became a network of mutual inspiration, creativity, and purpose.
Impact
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13 cross-border physics projects funded by UKRI
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Pan-African participation across disciplines
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Integration of arts-based and co-creation methods into scientific planning
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Alchemy Inspiration named co-facilitation partner for ongoing global initiatives
This case is a powerful example of how inclusive design, facilitation, and leadership development can elevate science into global, community-rooted impact.