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In search of the conceptualization and

measurement of SOCIAL INNOVATION

Mónica Edwards-Schachter, Phd.

Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Management (INGENIO, CSIC-UPV)

moed@ingenio.upv.es

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Focus: What is Social Innovation (SI)?

SI: An approach for a new nature (and new measurement problems) of innovation ?

SI as research topic: Within or outside of the innovation studies field?

Developing indicators of SI: Exploring “social places and spaces”

Final comments …

Keynotes

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Focus: What is Social Innovation?

SI is an outstanding paradigm that is increasingly attracting the

interest of research, organizations and policy makers (Andrew &

Klein, 2010; EU/The Young Foundation, 2010; Howaldt &Schwartz, 2010;

Hubert, 2010)

The Renewed Social Agenda (EC 2008) emphasizes the role of SI as

an opportunity to address Europe’s response to new social realities

and promoting a better quality of life.

SI is seen as a powerful instrument to address the economic crisis

(and “other” global crisis) requiring both quick solutions  to 

pressing  social  problems  and  the  long  term development  of  a 

sustainable social system (BEPA, 2009).

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But …

The concept of social innovation is often used

interchangeably with a number of different topics including

innovation activities in the non-profit sector,

social entrepreneurship,

social economy,

social enterprise …

(Moulaert et al, 2005; Mulgan et al., 2007; Rodríguez & Alvarado,

2008; Andrew & Klein, 2010; Howaldt & Shwarz, 2010).

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The SOCIAL side of

TECHNOLOGICAL innovation?

The

TECHNOLOGICAL side of SOCIAL

innovation?

SOCIAL IMPACT OF INNOVATION?

DIFUSSION OF

INNOVATION?

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SI: An approach for a new nature (and new measurement problems) of innovation ?

Mulgan (2006:8) affirms that “Social innovation refers to innovative

activities and services that are motivated by the goal of

meeting a social need and that are predominantly diffused

through organizations whose primary purposes are social”.

Phills et al. (2008) have underlined the mechanisms involved in bringing about positive social change, bolstered by the “cross-fertilization” of the non-profit, government, and business sectors

For MacCallum et al. (2009:1)- is an anchor concept for research in creative arts, human organization, economic diversity, neighbourhood regeneration, regional renaissance, governance and other areas”.

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SI: An approach for a new nature (and new measurement problems) of innovation ?

A recent report of The Young Foundation (2010, p. 10) identifies four drivers of future innovation:

1) Co-creating value with customers and tapping knowledge about users;

2) Global knowledge sourcing and collaborative networks;

3) Global challenges as a driver of innovation;

4) Public sector challenges as a driver of innovation

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SI: An approach for a new nature (and new measurement problems) of innovation ?

In words of Howaldt and Schwarz (2010) “innovations are

deliberative interventions designed to initiate and establish

future developments concerning technology, economics, and

social practices”

How can people act as lead users and contribute to social

innovation?

How can share social innovation best practices?

How to measure social innovation …?

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SI as research topic: Within or outside the innovation field?

The introduction of the social to innovation –and viceversa, as well as

of innovation to the social– has been considered from multiple

research perspectives, embracing social science and economic

literatures, as well as in the socio-political practice (Brooks 1982).

Brooks (1982) has analyzed the social dimensions of invention and

innovation, classifying social inventions and innovations as market,

managerial, political, or institutional. When distinguishing between

"pure social inventions and innovations, socio-technical system

innovations, and pure technical innovations" he cautions that "there

are no entirely pure types"

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But …

“Schumpeter underscores the necessity of social innovation

occurring in tandem in both the economic arena as well as in culture,

politics and a society's way of life in order to guarantee the economic

efficacy of technical innovations” (Howaldt & Schwarz , 2010: p. 9) .

However, the mention of social innovation in literature after

Schumpeter is rare and only marginal and the focus is essentially in

technological innovations.

The presence of SI in innovation research literature

is still scarce and marginal …

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Murray et al. (2009) in their working paper “How to

innovate: The tools for social innovation” list 260

methods, processes and examples of social

innovation in their proposal of social economy

framework.

Developing indicators of SI

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Developing indicators of SI

Indicators Measurement should “capture” the different aspects

of the phenomena

In-puts ... Needs to building “social innovation capabilities” ?

Process ... Problems with indicators of “traditional” innovations (technological, in services, organizational ...) !

Out-puts... Values co-generation, quality of life, well-being

improvement, ... diffusion and Impact?

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EXAMPLE 1 Bringing light to the poor: “A litre of light” project http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14967535

Eco-entrepreneurs students from MIT using 2-liter soda bottles and

bleach to bring a 60 watt light bulb's worth of light into the building

below.

A bit of brightness into the lives of the country's poorest people in

the Philippines.

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EXAMPLE 2 CVida http://www.cvida.com http://es-es.facebook.com/CvidaVilareal

CVida Vilareal is an association of multiple actors in the city of Vilareal (Castellon, Spain) .

Goals • The improvement of

people’s quality of life and

the creation of employment.

• The city as a local social innovation space.

ITC SYSTEM

PEOPLE NEEDS

LOCAL RESOURCES

PEO

PLE

LOCAL COMPANIES AND AUTHORITIES

Quality of life

•Innovation opportunities•Improvement opportunities•Governance support

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EXAMPLE 2 CVida http://www.cvida.com http://es-es.facebook.com/CvidaVilareal

FINAL COMMENTS …

Social Innovation is a multi-faceted concept which can be

placed at the intersection of spontaneous and rationally

organized movements at the micro, meso or macro levels of

society (bottom-up).

Further research on social innovation will be important in order

to increase our understanding of the concept and theoretical

interrelationships between technological, non-technological

and social innovation (and the development of appropriate

measurement methodologies and instruments).

Part of innovation studies … or a new discipline?

FINAL COMMENTS …

In Cvida initiative, our principal purpose is to explore the

transformational potential of mechanisms of the process of

collective action and urban governance practices, promoting

both the intentional cross-sector fertilization and a system-

building or “scaffolding” endeavour that accomplishes the

mechanisms of social innovation.

We are also exploring the development of indicators,

considering in-puts, process and out-puts ...

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ANDREW, C. and KLEIN, J. L. (2010). Social Innovation: What is it and why is it important to understand it better. ET10003. Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. Toronto. Cahiers du Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISBROOKS, H. (1982). ES). Collection Études théoriques, no ET1003.

BROOKS, H. (1982). Social and technological innovation. In Lundstedt, Sven B. and Colglazier, E. William, Jr. (Eds.), Managing innovation. Elmsford, NY: Pergamon Press, 9-10.

EUROPEAN UNION/THE YOUNG FOUNDATION. (YF) (2010). Study on social innovation. Report prepared by the Social Innovation eXchange (SIX) and the Young Foundation for the Bureau of European Policy Advisors.

HOWALDT, J. and SCHWARTZ, M. (2010). Social innovation: concepts, research fields and international trends. Report of ESF, EU and Aachen University. Dortmund, May 2010.

HUBERT, A. (2010). Empowering people, driving change: Social innovation in the European Union.

http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/pdf/publications_pdf/social_innovation.pdf MACCALLUM, D.; MOULAERT, F.; HILLIER, J. an VICARI HADDOCK, S.

(2009). Social Innovation and Territorial Development. Ashgate. MOULAERT, F.; MARTINELLI, F. and SWYNGEDOUW, E. (Eds.). (2005).

Social innovation in the governance of urban communities: a multidisciplinary perspective. Urban Studies Vol. 42(11).

References

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MULGAN, G.; TUCKER, S.; RUSHANARA, A. and SANDERS, B. (2007). Social Innovation: What it is, Why it matters and How it can be accelerated. Oxford: Said Business School.

MULGAN, G. (2006). The Process of Social Innovation, Innovations, pp. 145-162.

MURRAY, R.; MULGAN, G. and CAULIER-GRICE, J. (2009). How to innovate: The tools for Social Innovation. NESTA and the Young Foundation.

PHILLS JR., J. A., DEIGLMEIER, K., and MILLER, D. T. (2008). Rediscovering social innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Vol. 6(4): 34-44.

RODRÍGUEZ HERRERA, A. and ALVARADO UGARTE, H. (2008). Claves de la innovación social en América Latina y el Caribe. CEPAL: Santiago de Chile

References

www.ingenio.upv.es

INGENIO (CSIC-UPV)INSTITUTE OF INNOVATION DE GESTIÓN DE LA INNOVACIÓN Y DEL CONOCIMIENTO

THANKS!!!