Scaling Innovation
What’s the role of young people in social innovation?
The power of young people, activism and the role of government have been the focus of our team discussions at SIX over the last month. This month, the team have been to Cape Town and Bangkok for our work challenging universities to experiment and co-create social innovation, Canada and Australia for our work encouraging the ... What’s the role of young people in social innovation?
It’s time to innovate social innovation
By Fábio Deboni, Executive Manager at the Sabin Institute. While Social Innovation seems to continue to be on the rise, there is also some disagreement as to what it actually means. This issue has been previously discussed, and the purpose of this article is to discuss the need for the approaches of/for/about social innovation to also be able to innovate ... It’s time to innovate social innovation
Challenges of Social Innovation in Brazil
Fábio Deboni is the Executive Manager at the Sabin Institute. He currently is a co-manager of the Social Enterprise Theme Network of GIFE (Group of Institutes, Foundations and Companies) with the ICE. Member of GIFE’s Board of Directors. Author of “Reflexões contemporâneas sobre Investimento Social Privado” (Contemporary reflections on private social investment). Contact him here: fabio@institutosabin.org.br As ... Challenges of Social Innovation in Brazil
The state of social innovation in 2019
Over the last 10 years, SIX has developed a broad view of what social innovation looks like in different parts of the world. We’ve seen how social innovation ecosystems have developed in response to the individual contexts of different countries, as well as the patterns that have emerged locally, regionally and globally. Here, SIX Executive ... The state of social innovation in 2019
Carlos Moedas: The EU will fund more social innovation because it’s the future of innovation
This article was first feature on Horizon: The EU Research and Innovation Magazine. To see the original version, please click here. Socially focused innovators across Europe have called on the European Union to put innovation at the heart of its strategy to achieve a ‘social triple A rating’– an ambition set out by European Commission president ... Carlos Moedas: The EU will fund more social innovation because it’s the future of innovation
Movements Change Systems
Movements with a mission can change social norms, make markets and flips systems Lessons from Charlie Leadbeater The things that really bring change in society are movements with missions. We have to understand when they bring real change; when they’re nor just a hashtag to framed up by a marketing company. Charlie Leadbeater When do movements ... Movements Change Systems
Government of Canada releases recommendations for comprehensive social innovation and social finance strategy
In 2017, a Co-Creation Steering Group, appointed by the Government of Canada, engaged stakeholders from across sectors and regions to provide recommendations for a pan-Canadian Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy. In 2018, the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group released its report, Inclusive Innovation: New Ideas and New Partnerships for Stronger Communities. ... Government of Canada releases recommendations for comprehensive social innovation and social finance strategy
Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy for Canada
It’s time for a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy for Canada. Canadians should be optimistic about the future. That said, serious challenges remain—poverty, homelessness, climate change—to name a few. And complex challenges demand new kinds of thinking to generate transformative solutions. Fortunately, Canada is a diverse nation of innovators. There is a need to draw on ... Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy for Canada
Social Innovation: what’s under this umbrella? A Brazilian perspective
Abstract Social innovation, as both a field and conversation point, is burgeoning within Latin America. Yet, at the same time, there are discrepancies between what is meant by social innovation, and little shared understanding of its definition. The social innovation dialogue in Latin America, and especially in Brazil, hinges around two narratives. One centres on ... Social Innovation: what’s under this umbrella? A Brazilian perspective
Social Innovation Ecosystem in Turkey: An Insight Report
The purpose of this insight report is to mainly document the landscape of social innovation in Turkey by hearing the perspectives, approaches and future direction of the social innovation field from the key actors of the field. As outlined by Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), although the term social innovation is still relatively new in Turkey, it is ... Social Innovation Ecosystem in Turkey: An Insight Report
How is social innovation empowering women in the Middle East and North Africa?
Ahead of our upcoming Wayfinder in Istanbul on the future of social innovation, we explored how social innovation is empowering women in the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Challenges and opportunities for women in MENA Historically, women face marginalisation and discrimination in much of MENA. This has resulted in the lowest female labor ... How is social innovation empowering women in the Middle East and North Africa?
Conversation with Social Innovation Task Force from the Government of South Korea
In conversation with Nowon Park, Jun Hyung Shim, Sooyeon Lee. Interviewed by So Jung RimPhotographs by Kwansoo Ahn This month, we connected with a delegation from the Social Innovation Taskforce from the South Korean government, representing four different departments, Ministry of Interior and Safety, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Science and ICT, and ... Conversation with Social Innovation Task Force from the Government of South Korea
How Field Catalysts Galvanise Social Change
Ending malaria. Achieving marriage equality. Dramatically reducing teen smoking. Surmounting these and other daunting social challenges can require an “invisible hand” that amplifies the efforts of many other players in the field. These behind-the-scenes catalysts are built to win campaigns, not to last forever, and they are galvanizing population-level change. By Taz Hussein, Matt Plummer & ... How Field Catalysts Galvanise Social Change
A Social Innovation Platform in Istanbul: imece
Established by ATÖLYE and Zorlu Holding as founding partners and S360 as a strategic partner, imece is a social innovation platform based in Istanbul, that brings together individuals and institutions tackling social challenges. Through its incubation process, imece offers various resources in the form of mentorship, workspace, grants, training, access to the ecosystem and investor relations to teams providing ... A Social Innovation Platform in Istanbul: imece
The top five reports on social innovation from 2017
Visions and Trends of Social Innovation for Europe; European Commission, October 2017 European society is facing dramatic changes. Despite all its benefits, the innovation society is part of the problem. Social innovation can be part of the solution. Launched in 2010 within Europe2020, social innovation has spread in policy, practice, and research with increasing impact on ... The top five reports on social innovation from 2017
The future of social innovation – Canada and the world
It’s not enough to be reflective. You need to put action into your reflection This was one of the many calls to action from the Spark! Conference in Toronto at the end of November. This gathering of 250 social innovators was at a pivotal moment. Although social innovation has gained in traction over the past decade thanks ... The future of social innovation – Canada and the world
Highlights 2017 – How has social innovation shifted and how has SIX contributed?
The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. Abraham Lincoln It’s been another eventful year at SIX, with a growing team, activities and ... Highlights 2017 – How has social innovation shifted and how has SIX contributed?
Participatory Systems Change: A Primer
Abstract Addressing many of today’s most pressing problems—from climate change to unsustainable borrowing to rising inequalities—requires both engaging broad public audiences and working with complex systems of institutions, actors and drivers to mobilize solutions. Over the past thirty years, advances in the field of public engage – ment have enabled citizens to meaningfully affect government ... Participatory Systems Change: A Primer
Follow Our Movement- Reflections following the Rethink Activism Festival in Aarhus
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main John Donne I’ve realised that since being at this Festival that I’ve been involved in politics and activism my entire life.’ Peter Macfadyen (Independents for Frome) To say it was disconcerting to be led ... Follow Our Movement- Reflections following the Rethink Activism Festival in Aarhus
Report: Five ways universities are organising themselves to increase societal impact
Introduction – What are universities for? For many, universities and higher educational institutions continue to be viewed as elitist and isolated institutions, with little connection to the society, communities and organisations around them. Indeed, universities are large, bureaucratic organisations, and many still operate in this stereotyped ‘traditional’ way. However, at a time when the challenges ... Report: Five ways universities are organising themselves to increase societal impact
The philanthropy of place
As the pace of life increases, our lives are continuously engulfed by technology and data. There are few opportunities for stillness. We need spaces to recharge and recalibrate more than ever, and when we find these spaces, we need to use them more strategically. This is the view of Dr Helga Breuninger of the Breuninger ... The philanthropy of place
The Unusual Suspects Festival- London Impact Report: 4 Years in Review
This document is a four year review of the Unusual Suspects Festival model and events. Following the success of the London festival, we wanted to review all our past events and think strategically about how best to take the festival model onwards. All the festivals have reinforced that collaboration is a skill, not a hobby. ... The Unusual Suspects Festival- London Impact Report: 4 Years in Review
Labs for Social Innovation
SIX worked with the ESADE Institute for Social Innovation to co-facilitate a Lab on Labs for Social Innovation in Barcelona in June 2017. This workshop was part of a project carried out by the Institute and was supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and BBVA, and aimed to provide meaningful insights into how to best address the complex societal ... Labs for Social Innovation
Tea with Robin Murray
협동조합은 학교다_SBS from SPREAD-i on Vimeo. I have desired to goWhere springs not fail,To fields where flies no sharp and sided hailAnd a few lilies blow. And I have asked to beWhere no storms come,Where the green swell is in the havens dumb,And out of the swing of the sea.– by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Heaven-Haven I am honoured to have known ... Tea with Robin Murray
A global response to the most important questions facing the field of social innovation
In February 2017, SIX hosted our first global Wayfinder event in London. We brought together more than 160 leaders from 34 countries to explore the future of social innovation and our roles within it. There were some clear messages about the very core of what we do, why we do it, and why it matters. Some of ... A global response to the most important questions facing the field of social innovation
6 things social innovation can offer to an out of control world
Author Charlie Leadbeater concluded the SIX Wayfinder with six things that social innovation can offer to the future: I want to say a few things of what might be coming and how to interact with it. Over the past two days at the Wayfinder, we’ve had a lot of conversations on the good work that we do and the ... 6 things social innovation can offer to an out of control world
The future of SiG: Social Innovation at an Inflection Point
Social Innovation Generation concludes its decade-long run in its current form in December 2017. This blog is our opportunity to update our community and partners about SiG’s status and possible next steps. We are also conducting a short survey on what the social innovation ecosystem needs today – please take a few minutes to give us ... The future of SiG: Social Innovation at an Inflection Point
Colombian Centre for Social Innovation – ANSPE
Background Innovative solutions to pressing social challenges are thought after throughout the world. In 2013, the Latin American spotlight was on Brazil to offer innovation solutions to counter growing social unrest. Less publicised but similar socio-economic conditions were developing in other Latin America countries, namely Colombia. Challenge There were existing examples of innovative change makers ... Colombian Centre for Social Innovation – ANSPE
What good is a corporate experience?
It was during another, countless, KPI improvement for GSK that I started to think about whether there was more to life than just earning money. As many of you, I inherited the mind-set that believed, “work hard”, earn a living and be economically safe as priority number one. At GSK I was travelling world trying ... What good is a corporate experience?
East Asia’s Role in Global Social Innovation
Dangshu (Jaff) Shen and Fan Li from Leping Social Entrepreneur Foundation have collaborated with various individuals in East Asia working on the emerging frontiers of research and innovation in the field to create a collection of practices and perspectives on social innovation from East Asian countries. Leping Social Entrepreneur Foundation is part of SIX Global Council. Stanford Social Innovation ... East Asia’s Role in Global Social Innovation
10 unusual things about the Unusual Suspects Festival
As usual, the Unusual Suspects festival showed lots of things that are not found during an average social innovation event… 1) We facilitated unlikely connections creating genuine social change Orode Faka from Roehampton R.O.C.K.S. met Louise Foreman from the Young Foundation for the first time at the Unusual Suspects ideas exchange, months before the Festival began London on ... 10 unusual things about the Unusual Suspects Festival
7 tips for building a social innovation city
– from Seoul City’s Global Advisory Committee on Social Innovation SIX’s Director Louise Pulford is part of the Social Innovation Global Advisory Committee Group of Seoul Metropolitan Government. Last month, we travelled to Seoul to join the Future Innovation Forum 2016 and to also be part of the Social Innovation Global Advisory Committee Group Meeting hosted by ... 7 tips for building a social innovation city
The SIX Funders’ Node: A new kind of network for social innovation
In a rapidly changing world, the role of foundations to broker and create change is increasingly important. And, as their own role develops, it’s vital for funders to share and learn from their peers across the globe. The SIX Funders’ Node works with leading funders to unpack the big questions facing trusts and foundations all ... The SIX Funders’ Node: A new kind of network for social innovation
The Unusual Suspects Festival: Northern Ireland 2016
Following the success of the two previous Unusual Suspect festivals, we hosted our third festival in Northern Ireland across two cities in Derry-Londonderry and Belfast. The Unusual Suspects Festival is all about sparking new connections, reframing old ones and finding innovative ways to tackle chronic social problems. With 40+ organisations, both local and international, participating in 19 ... The Unusual Suspects Festival: Northern Ireland 2016
On peace-building and the power of words
PHOTO Credit: Guardian Newspaper What connection might there be between efforts to resolve community tensions around ‘un-authorised’ Gypsy camps here in the UK and efforts to build a peace deal in Colombia? Helen Jones, CEO of Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, says that words have the power to create change, but we must use them wisely. ... On peace-building and the power of words
SIX Summer School in Colombia video
SIX Colombia 2016 brought together a wonderful group of social innovation thinkers and doers for 2.5 days to reflect on common topics, share experiences and identify potential collaborations. Here are some of the people we met in Colombia.
Getting to the core of human-centred design: SIX speaks with Mariko Takeuchi
As part of our work to demystify innovation within international development, we spoke with Mariko Takeuchi, human-centred design expert on the core of the methodology and what NGOs can learn from the private sector. Mariko is a Strategy Consultant and Advisor working on behalf of clients and funders including Helen Keller International, LandMapp, Gates Foundation, WWF, UNDP, UNFPA, IDRC and more. She previously ... Getting to the core of human-centred design: SIX speaks with Mariko Takeuchi
Behaving Like a System
Collaborate launched a new report “Behaving Like a System?“ on the preconditions for place-based systems change. Funded by the Lankelly Chase, this piece of work set out to explore the preconditions for systems change in a place. It unpicks the critical behaviours and vision that makes system change more likely, more deliverable and more sustainable. In ... Behaving Like a System
Mapping Momentum
As we hurtle towards a human community of 9.7 billion people by the year 2050, coupled with new technologies and the growing challenges of our planet’s carrying capacity, there is more and more discussion of systems and how they change or are created. The post-war era has witnessed an unprecedented growth of global, national and ... Mapping Momentum
Building social innovation in post-conflict places
As part of the SIX series exploring social innovation in post conflict places, Eddy Adams, SIX Adviser, spoke with Gorka Espiau. Hailing from the Basque country, Gorka was actively involved in the peace process there, and has subsequently been involved in social innovation work across the globe. This includes experience in Colombia and Croatia, which ... Building social innovation in post-conflict places
Regions are from Mars, Cities are from Venus
Written by Peter Ramsden, Freiss ltd in July 2016 Can social innovation ecosystems overlap with those for technological innovation? Where are the connections? Why is the uptake of European Structural Funds in support of social innovation so slow in the 2014-20 period? Where are the new opportunities? I can’t be the only person to think that ... Regions are from Mars, Cities are from Venus
SIX Series: Exploring social innovation in post-conflict societies
What behaviours and attitudes contribute to an effective social innovation culture? A few months ago SIX co-hosted an SIE event with the BMW Foundation to consider this question. “Transparency” Trust” and “Openness” were frequently recurring words in the discussion. This endorsed much of the established evidence about the importance of a collaborative approach to stimulate innovation. But ... SIX Series: Exploring social innovation in post-conflict societies
Migrants, social innovation and collaborative inclusion
In the next decades, a growing number of people will be on the move. The challenge for Europe is to see this not as a threat, but as an opportunity. That is, to imagine how migration can become a driver of innovation towards a younger, dynamic, cosmopolitan and, at the end of the day, a ... Migrants, social innovation and collaborative inclusion
The Citizen as Mayor: Citizen participation in social innovation
This was originally published on URBACT and was written by Peter Ramsden on April 25th, 2016. The subject of the Eurocities Social Forum in Nantes on March 16th was citizen involvement in social innovation. Cities are now leading Europe on social innovation across a range of fields from health and care to integrating migrants. The message of the ... The Citizen as Mayor: Citizen participation in social innovation
Innovating Innovation: Connecting technological, business and social innovation
We have reached a watershed moment. After a century of robust development of technological and business innovation, plus several decades of cracking the code of social innovation, the time has come to create an integrated innovation system. Innovation has long been recognized as necessary for a nation’s economic and business success. But citizens have relied ... Innovating Innovation: Connecting technological, business and social innovation
Pushing boundaries to advance social impact
In January 2016, a group of 25 foundations from across 4 continents came together at the Rockefeller Foundation’s New York office to learn and share insights about funding social innovation that help them tackle their most important opportunities and challenges. Although there are numerous toolkits, guides and traditional gatherings for foundations providing tips, practical suggestions ... Pushing boundaries to advance social impact
Scaling social innovation: An art or a science?
This originally appeared on the BRAC blog. If there were a simple recipe for social innovation, anyone could easily transform an idea into an impactful solution reaching millions. Unfortunately things are a lot messier on the ground. Many ‘amazing’ innovations that promise to save millions of lives fail to scale and quietly disappear. Who’s to blame: ... Scaling social innovation: An art or a science?
Comparative Report on Social Innovation across Europe
SIMPACT investigates the economic foundation of social innovation in relation to markets, public sector and institutions with the intention of providing a dynamic framework for action at the level of individuals, organisations and networks. According to SIMPACT’s understanding, social innovation refers to: novel combination of ideas and distinct forms of collaboration that transcend established institutional contexts with the effect of empowering and (re) engaging vulnerable ... Comparative Report on Social Innovation across Europe
Recoding Our Innovation Systems
This article was written by Tim Draimin (Executive Director, Social Innovation Generation) and is part of our SIX Global Council series on Ideas for the Future. Social Innovation’s Imperative to Be Ambitious and Think Big The world is awash with innovation reports and indices comparing the innovation prowess of different countries, cities, and corporations. The two ... Recoding Our Innovation Systems
Rethinking Smart Cities from the Ground Up
The original post about this report can be found on Nesta website here. This Nesta report tells the stories of cities around the world – from Beijing to Amsterdam, and from London to Jakarta – that are addressing urban challenges by using digital technologies to engage and enable citizens. Key findings Many ‘top down’ smart city ... Rethinking Smart Cities from the Ground Up
Lab Practice: creating spaces for social change
How to organise and run a social lab? Lab Practice aims to share experiences from doing a social lab with elderly people in Amsteldorp by sharing methodologies and stories from both changemakers and social lab facilitators. In the face of fast moving, global, often elusive developments, national governments and their counterparts (public sector) find it ... Lab Practice: creating spaces for social change
Disruptive Social Innovation – A political challenge
This article, written by Simon Willis (CEO, Young Foundation) and Jeremy Crump (Head of Strategy, Young Foundation) is part of our SIX Global Council series on Ideas for the Future. Clayton Christensen’s concept of disruptive innovation arose largely from an analysis of the industrial and product market, such as steel, manufacturing and computing. The focal point ... Disruptive Social Innovation – A political challenge
Growing a digital social innovation ecosystem for Europe
Over the last 18 months Nesta, funded by the European Commission, has led a large research project into DSI. The project seeks to define and understand the potential of DSI, to map the digital social innovators, their projects and networks, and to develop recommendations for how policymakers, from the EU to city level, can make the ... Growing a digital social innovation ecosystem for Europe
Inequality and innovation: the end of another trickle down theory?
Chief Executive of Nesta and SIX Global Council member Geoff Mulgan highlights the issue of inequality in innovation in this blog, originally published on Nesta. The relationship between innovation and inequality is rapidly moving up policy agendas. For years an implicit ‘trickle down’ theory dominated how policy makers thought. It argued that resources should be concentrated where ... Inequality and innovation: the end of another trickle down theory?
Irresistibly Biased? The blind spots of social innovation
Social innovation has an irresistible global appeal, but is it biased towards protecting the status quo? What’s the state of play in the fast paced world of social innovation? The Unusual Suspects Festival in London seemed a good place to find out. Collaboration was the theme. The claims made were high. The stakes may be even higher. A ... Irresistibly Biased? The blind spots of social innovation
Webinar: Geoff Mulgan on ‘Master of Arts in Social Innovation’
The new study program “Master of Arts in Social Innovation” at Danube University Krems (Austria), which will start its new course on 16th of June 2014, offers a recorded version of Geoff Mulgans Webinar for all those who are interested in Social Innovation. For more informations click here.
Permission, performance and play: shifting culture, changing systems
1. The two most important things you need to focus on if you want to use innovation to change systems and shift cultures are permission and play. The third thing is performance. Permission, performance, play – that’s the trifecta you have to pull off. It’s very hard and very rare. I was reminded of this ... Permission, performance and play: shifting culture, changing systems
Design in public and social innovation: What works and what could work better
What’s going right and what’s going wrong? Is design a key to more efficient and effective public services, or a costly luxury, good for conferences and consultants but not for the public? This Nesta paper looks at the elements of the design method; the strengths of current models; some of their weaknesses and the common criticisms ... Design in public and social innovation: What works and what could work better
Social innovation research in the European Union: Approaches, findings and future directions
This report was originally posted on Wilco Project. In the course of the WILCO mid-term seminar, a pioneering initiative was launched to take stock of all the research done so far within the Framework Programmes with a view on preparing for Horizon 2020. The main result of this event is the “Social innovation research in the ... Social innovation research in the European Union: Approaches, findings and future directions
Social Frontiers – The next edge of social innovation research
The global field of social innovation was gathering momentum. At the time of the event, there was an Office for Social Innovation in the US, the UK Government recently appointed an Advisor to the Prime Minister on Social Innovation and the European Commission had already made significant investments in both research and practical projects which ... Social Frontiers – The next edge of social innovation research
Project Innovation: the Social Innovation Toolkit
The reality of day-to-day organizational work is that we tend to rely on typical strategies to achieve outcomes. An innovation mindset challenges key ideas about the traditional ways of working in social sector organizations, the importance of asking challenging questions and gathering data to better understand the complexity of social sector work, and the need ... Project Innovation: the Social Innovation Toolkit
Public Sector Social Innovation: It’s time we changed some old habits
In an article for Public Servant Magazine, Geoff Mulgan explains why Nesta is promoting social innovation in the UK and how SIX brings together innovators from around the world. For the last 14 years Nesta has been working to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life across a wide range of fields – ... Public Sector Social Innovation: It’s time we changed some old habits
Social Innovation: International Practices for Diffusion and Policymaking
By Johanna Mair While Western societies increasingly recognize social innovation, and its importance for the growth and well being of communities, there is still a wide gap between the scale of the problems we face and the scale of the available solutions. Businesses spend big money on innovation, but governments spend far less on systematically ... Social Innovation: International Practices for Diffusion and Policymaking
Labs: Designing the future
Participatory, user-centric approaches to solving problems are gaining momentum as alternatives to traditional organizations. Among these approaches is the innovation Lab, a creative, multi-disciplinary environment that employs a proven and repeatable protocol to seek disruptive, potentially systems-tipping solutions. Labs: Designing the Future, published in 2012, examines the Lab’s roots in complexity, networked collaboration and design ... Labs: Designing the future
Intentional innovation: How getting more systematic about innovation could improve philanthropy and increase social impact
Based on a review of case studies and current innovation theory and practice, proposes a framework integrating best practices, processes, and tools for making innovation a more consistent and integral element of philanthropy. Lists models and resources.
In and out of sync: The challenge of growing social innovations
This report is about how social innovations spread and grow. It aims to provide a theoretically and empirically grounded guide for the many people involved in social innovation: innovators, funders, policy-makers and commissioners. It draws on a growing body of research on patterns of growth, and distils its conclusions into a guide to help direct ... In and out of sync: The challenge of growing social innovations