CENTRAL SPARK: A Lessons-Learned Perspective

Building on efforts to promote a culture of innovation at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Central Spark is a collection of exploratory spaces and concepts designed to provide APL staff members with new means to develop creative solutions to their sponsors' most difficult challenges. Areas associated with Central Spark are open 24/7 and encourage creative exploration and risk taking through the provision of equipment, training, and resources in a creative environment. Central Spark is made up of several distinct spaces that draw on recently popularized approaches to problem solving, such as those of the maker movement and design thinking, and Central Spark connects the areas and underlying concepts. It is a flexible facility that will evolve with staff members' interests and feedback. A diverse support base, including APL's leadership and staff members, planned and executed Central Spark to ensure future growth and success. Inspiring such growth requires ongoing assessment of effectiveness and performance and shedding of outdated or stale ideas. This article assesses the key factors that led to the success of this initiative and identifies areas for improvement. The recurring theme is that Central Spark will continue to grow and adapt as a framework for innovation, and lessons learned from this initiative will be applied to future innovation spaces at APL.