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Social Innovation – creating the future

Chris Dabbs

Unlimited Potential

“Making the world a happier and healthier place to live.”

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Unlimited Potential• social enterprise• specialises in social

innovation• national leader table for

impact measurement (SE100 Index)

• GM Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award 2011

• shortlisted in national Social Enterprise Awards 2011

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21st Century challenges• health• education• care• climate change• growing inequality• social / family breakdown• major crime• ageing population• economic change – approach, geography

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Social Innovation• Social innovation is the process of

designing, developing and growing new ideas to meet social challenges.

• Societal innovation is social innovation that meets challenges across a whole society.

• Innovation that leaves behind a stronger capacity for society to act.

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Social Innovations• co-operatives• public libraries• kindergartens• international aid• Samaritans• consumerism• human rights• distance learning

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Social Innovations• hospices• environmentalism• microcredit• Fairtrade• open source• participatory budgeting• self-management• Specialisterne

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Decisive roleSocial, economic and

environmental sustainability through and across:

• social entrepreneurs• politics and

government• markets• movements• academia

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Social EnterpriseCompared to mainstream SMEs:• 3 times the proportion of start-ups• employ more people relative to turnover• 3 times as many work in 20% most

deprived communities• 58% of social enterprises grew in 2010

compared to 28% of SMEs

(Source: Fightback Britain, SEUK, 2011).

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ChallengesNeed new economic models:• make places resilient and

open to change• enhance happiness and

well-being• nurture and protect

environment• not focussed on crude

materialism• less reliant on public

spending

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Barriers• common assumption

that innovation = science and technology

• lack of clear policy, structures, routes and finance for social innovation

• impeding lack of research and knowledge in social innovation

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Support• new ways of cultivating

innovators• empowering “users” to

drive innovation• new cross-sectoral and

international approaches to innovation

• new institutions adapting new technologies for social potential

• institutions orchestrating systemic change

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Support• leaders who encourage

and reward innovation• finance specifically for

social innovation• markets open to social

solutions and outcomes• incubators for

promising models• explicit methodologies

for R&D in social and public sectors

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In short• thinkers, creators,

designers, activists need …

• ‘connectors’ – brokers, entrepreneurs and institutions that link people, ideas, money and power

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Solutions• Social “silicon

valleys” – mobilise resources and energies to tackle social problems in ways that are comparable to the investments in technology

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Europe• Espoo – Aalto Camp for

Societal Innovation• Bilbao – Social Innovation

Park www.denokinn.eu• Malmö – local innovation

forums• Warsaw – Stocznia unit for

social innovation & research stocznia.org.pl

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Global• Seoul – Mayor Won Soon Park

plans a global hub of social innovation

• Singapore – Social Innovation Park www.socialinnovationpark.org

• Toronto – Centre for Social Innovation socialinnovation.ca and MaRS Discovery District www.marssdd.com

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Opportunities• local social innovation• local experience in

science, technology, media• Co-operatives UK, Design

Council, NESTA, RSA, Young Foundation

• Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

• EU Programme for Social Change and Innovation

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Opportunities

• Social Innovation Exchange – socialinnovationexchange.org

• Social Innovation Europe – socialinnovationeurope.eu

• Global Innovation Academy – youngfoundation.org

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21st Century• Greater Manchester – a global hub for

social innovation? Salford as its heart?

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Initial progress• Social Innovation Circle (with the

University of Salford)• Manchester Innovation Group engaged• commitment from NESTA from their global

experience• support from the Young Foundation• support from Manchester Science Parks• offer from DenokInn (Basque country)• link to innovation programme (Co-ops UK)

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Thank you

Any questions?