developing social innovation ecosystems in cities by christoph kaletka & dmitri domanski

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693883.

Developing Social

Innovation Ecosystems in

Cities

Dmitri Domanski & Christoph Kaletka

(TU Dortmund University) 22 SEPTEMBER 2016

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Today’s focus:

1. Social Innovation (ecosystems):

Theoretical and empirical perspectives

2. Significance of the local/urban level

3. The role of intermediaries

4. Concrete examples of SI in cities

(Dortmund, Zagreb)

5. Further work on Tilburg cases

2

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Key challenges

22 SEPT 2016 DEVELOPING SI ECOSYSTEMS IN CITIES 3

1. We need to understand the

conditions under which (urban)

social innovations develop,

flourish and sustain and finally

lead to social change.

2. This understanding can help us

create an (urban) ecosystem for

social innovation.

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What is social innovation about? Some theoretical reflections …


Social innovation …

• is about doing things differently (science talk: “new social practices”)

• is more than invention

• is not only about social entrepreneurs

• is developed in an intentional targeted manner with the goal of better satisfying or answering needs and problems than is possible on the basis of established practices

• initiatives use co-creation, cross-sector fertilization, network-based learning processes

• may finally be institutionalized

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… and empirical findings

• a highly diversified list of practice fields and social initiatives emerging

• and local social demands as the second main drivers of social innovations (after societal challenges)

• although mainly all initiatives are scaling there is almost no or limited (local, regional) transfer of the solution

• two of three initiatives are embedded in networks, social movements, umbrella organisations or policy programmes guaranteeing impact


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… and more empirical findings

• In almost half of the initiatives there is a direct user / beneficiary involvement

• All societal sectors can be actively involved in social innovation (multi-sectoral approach instead of focusing on single sectors, such as social economy)

• Even more: to overcome social demands and societal challenges cross-sector collaboration is crucial, actively involving public, economic and civil society partners (including active user/beneficiary involvement)

Social innovations take place in ecosystems, which need to be further developed


/ 22 SEPT 2016 DEVELOPING SI ECOSYSTEMS IN CITIES 7

Sectoral involvement in SI initiatives (1.005 cases)

Private Sector; 1119; 38%

Public Sector; 1041; 35%

Civil Society/ NGO/NPO 802; 27%

N = 3.007 Partners


44,6%

9,9% 8,1%

0,7%

3,6% 8,6% 8,0%

1,2%

5,4%

18,4%

19,2%

7,8%

1,6% 4,2%

13,4% 9,2%

1,1%

6,9%

12,1%

9,7%

5,2%

3,1%

4,4%

10,0%

9,1%

2,5%

9,1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3

Main Drivers for SI initiatives


Main Barriers for SI initiatives

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• Cities are the places where inventions become visible first (Tarde 1890)

• It is the place where diverse societal challenges need to be tackled in the most direct way

• Cities and their districts and neighbourhoods are places for experimentation, they are laboratories for new solutions resulting in new social practices

• Development of social innovation infrastructures is a crucial component especially in urban social innovation ecosystems

• Intermediary actors and institutions become increasingly important, such infrastructures can be created as social innovation parks, centres, labs or incubators


Social innovation in cities


Social innovation in cities: SI-Labs / Social innovation intermediaries What they can be • Places - where social

innovations are initiated • Competence centres -

where clients are supported with design and process expertise

• Incubators - harbouring

social start-ups • Promoters - of change, in

a city, region, or sector

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Towards social innovation ecosystems

• “Actors who drive the supply of social innovations”, “Actors who drive the demand for social innovations” and “The intermediaries who act as brokers (Hansson et al. 2014, 10)

• “… resources (financial, human, social/political, and intellectual capital) […] and the environmental conditions” (CASE 2008, iv)

• “An ecosystems framework, in contrast [to Porter’s cluster approach], incorporates the broader environment within which organizations operate. It captures the elements of Porter’s economic analysis, adds other potentially important actors, and incorporates the nonmarket forces…” (Bloom and Dees 2008, 48)


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• “… a set of complex, interdependent relationships that function best through effective networks and communities” (Pulford 2011, 113).

• “… a paradigm shift where grass-root, bottom-up, spontaneous movements and communities of change are shaping new ecosystems…” (Sgaragli 2014, 9)

• “… replacement of existing governance models with ones that are more open, inclusive and participatory…” (Sgaragli 2014, 9)


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• developing a scientific concept of social innovation ecosystems is much more demanding than just trying to adapt existing concepts, such as innovation systems, triple-helix or quadruple-helix

• it implies a better understanding of what social innovation ecosystems are about

• social innovation ecosystems are environments where innovations emerge which are different from technological innovations

• such environments always exist, even if they may be poorly developed or apparently invisible


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What are SI ecosystems?

They include

• Financial support: grants for early stage development, crowdfunding, loans, venture philanthropy, prizes for social innovation,

• Non-financial support: Professional services, mentors and coaching, labs for SI, accelerator programmes, incubators,

• Skills for innovation: tailored courses for innovators and entrepreneurs

• Demand enhancement through campaigning and advocacy, personalised budgets, commissioning and procurement

• Intermediaries: SI networks, centres, labs transferring knowledge, about social innovation

• and probably more …


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Promote the change


“Old school” After Tilburg Summer School

Trickle-down model:

pushing innovations into

society

Co-creation model: Making urban

societies the source of innovation

(Open Innovation, user involvement,

citizen participation, …)

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Two characteristics of an active urban social innovation culture


Absorptive capacity

A region / community is able to recognize the value of such new

solutions, is able to implement and test them, and is open to change

Social serendipity

A region / community is systematically encouraging and supporting inventions

to overcome societal challenges

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Fostering social innovation ecosystems Guiding questions

- What are social innovations about? E.g. new business models.

- How are they intertwined with other innovations? E.g. use of technologies.

- What are the needs and challenges social innovations originate from? E.g. local problems, global challenges.

- Who are the actors and what are their roles? E.g. developers, promotors, supporters, knowledge providers.

- How does the governance model look like? E.g. bottom-up, top-down.


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Fostering social innovation ecosystems Guiding questions

- Which resources and capabilities are available, which barriers inhibit social innovation? E.g. financial resources, knowledge, personnel, legal framework, politics.

- What are the process dynamics? From idea and invention to an established social practice. E.g. the role of the ecosystem in scaling and transfer.


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Checklist in short:

14 SEPT 2016 THIS IS YOUR PRESENTATION TITLE 20

/ This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693883. 22 SEPT 2016 21

Thank you!

Dmitri Domanski ([email protected])

Christoph Kaletka ([email protected])

developing social innovation ecosystems in cities by christoph kaletka & dmitri domanski

Government & Nonprofit