Why is Research in Social Innovation important for you?

Services that were traditionally delivered by the state or public sector are now increasingly becoming difficult for governments to afford due to economic as well as socio-political challenges faced by society. In this environment, social innovation plays an important role as it encourages civil society, NGOs and business communities to work together to find cost-effective solutions to local as well as national and regional problems faced by society in terms of policies and services that impact the day to day lives of people.

What is the biggest challenge for Social Innovation Research?

The relative newness of social innovation as a research theme means that there are limited studies that have been conducted in the field to make any significant theoretical contributions. While empirical studies are emerging in the field, mainly through funded research, these studies are not grounded in theoretical foundations or carried out using well thought out methodological frameworks that are justified or supported through reference to prior research. As such, there are gaps in current research when it comes to the scientific replicability and generalisability of social innovation studies.

What result can we expect from SI-DRIVE?

SI-DRIVE will make a significant contribution to the field of social innovation by using a systematic approach to analyzing normative research in the field and investigating empirical cases where social innovation has been implemented in practice across Europe and rest of the world. By combining the efforts of an inter-disciplinary team of experts and applying a well-thought out methodological framework that is grounded in scientific rigor, the project will aim to develop research propositions for social innovation that are based on theory and supported through empirical evidence.

Which book or article about Social Innovation should everybody read?

Goldsmith, S. (2010). The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good. Jossey-Bass.

This book explains the influence that entrepreneurship, public sector, private sector, civil society and the modern ICT landscape have on facilitating social innovation. In my view, these are all essential elements for social innovation to succeed in any society.