Over thirty funding agencies and researchers from South and North America and Europe took part in the expert workshop on ‘Resilient and Innovative Societies’ of the Trans-Atlantic Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP). From 1st to 3rd December 2015 the participants engaged in presentations and discussions to foster networking between researchers and funding agencies, to identify future research fields and transatlantic cooperation possibilities.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Howaldt, Scientific Advisor of the event, gave an introduction on the topic of ‘Resilient and Innovative Societies’. Social innovation being one thematic pillar of the event, the participants also joined an excursion on structural change and social innovation in Dortmund. The group visited the Nordhand micro-funding agency and the Dortmund centre for female founders (Gründerinnenzentrum) and learned about ‘Nordwärts’, the new major city development project for revitalising the northern part of Dortmund. The excursion was supported by ‘Dortmund’s Economic Development Agency’ (Wirtschaftsförderung).

The Transatlantic Platform Social Sciences and Humanities (T-AP) was founded in 2013 and aims to enhance the ability of humanities and social science funders, research organisations and researchers to engage in transnational collaboration.