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Social innovation futures: beyond policy panacea and conceptual ambiguity

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Benneworth

    (Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente, the Netherlands)

  • Effie Amanatidou

    (Manchester Institute for Innovation Research, Manchester University, UK)

  • Monica Edwards Schachter

    (CSIC-INGENIO, Valencia, Spain)

  • Magnus Gulbrandsen

    (Centre for Technology, Innovation & Culture (TIK), University of Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

Social innovation is once more an increasingly popular notion circulating as an apparent means to solve the Grand Challenges of the 21st Century. But this common-sense idea of social innovation is based on a quasi-concept, where processes of innovation are absent. To restore some academic rigour to this important concept, we argue more attention need be paid to these innovation processes in social innovation, and that there is value in using innovation concepts drawn from other areas of innovation studies (disruptive innovation, innovation systems, institutional innovation and socio-technical transitions) in highlighting how small-scale social experiments can ultimately lead to the solution of pressing societal problems. Through a subtle critique of the current policy conception of social innovation, it is possible for the field of Innovation Studies in general to help provide better insights into social innovation processes and ultimately to lead to better support frameworks and interventions for promoting solutions to these Grand Challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Benneworth & Effie Amanatidou & Monica Edwards Schachter & Magnus Gulbrandsen, 2015. "Social innovation futures: beyond policy panacea and conceptual ambiguity," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20150127, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    • Handle: RePEc:tik:inowpp:20150127
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    File URL: http://www.sv.uio.no/tik/InnoWP/tik_working_paper_20150127.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Marina Novikova, 2022. "Social Innovation Impacts and Their Assessment: An Exploratory Study of a Social Innovation Initiative from a Portuguese Rural Region," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Bertschek, Irene & Ohnemus, Jörg & Erdsiek, Daniel & Kimpeler, Simone & Rammer, Christian & Schleithoff, Sophia Schulze & Shala, Erduana, 2014. "Monitoring zu ausgewählten wirtschaftlichen Eckdaten der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft 2014: Bericht im Rahmen des Projekts "Stand und Perspektiven der deutschen Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft 201," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 175321.
    3. Slee Bill, 2019. "Delivering on the Concept of Smart Villages – in Search of an Enabling Theory," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 11(4), pages 634-650, December.
    4. Bugge, Markus & Coenen, Lars & Marques, Pedro & Morgan, Kevin, 2016. "From Social Innovation to System Innovation: Assisted living experiments in Britain and Norway," Papers in Innovation Studies 2016/16, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    5. Edwards-Schachter,Mónica & Wallace,Matthew, 2015. "âShaken, but not stirredâ: six decades defining social innovation," INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) Working Paper Series 201504, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV).
    6. Gianluca Misuraca & Csaba Kucsera & Giulio Pasi & Dimitri Gagliardi & Fabienne Abadie, 2017. "Mapping and Analysis of ICT-enabled Social Innovation initiatives promoting social investment across the EU: IESI Knowledge Map 2016," JRC Research Reports JRC105556, Joint Research Centre.
    7. Michela Piccarozzi, 2017. "Does Social Innovation Contribute to Sustainability? The Case of Italian Innovative Start-Ups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-28, December.
    8. Havas, Attila, 2016. "Recent economic theorising on innovation: Lessons for analysing social innovation," MPRA Paper 77385, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. repec:lib:000cis:v:5:y:2017:i:1:p:15-23 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. M. Bugge , Markus & Coenen, Lars & Branstad, Are, 2015. "The Roles of Governance in Co-Evolutionary and Transformative Change - The Case of Active Ageing," Papers in Innovation Studies 2015/32, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    11. Ridvan Cinar & Paul Benneworth, 2021. "Why do universities have little systemic impact with social innovation? An institutional logics perspective," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 751-769, June.

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