Ecosystems of Innovation: Factors of Social Innovation and its Role in Public Policies

Abstract

This article seeks to advance knowledge of social innovation through understanding how public policy frameworks can both support and constrain its efficacy in an ever-changing world. In doing so, this article contributes to the framework for studying interventions related to innovation models that emerge from a multidisciplinary approach to interpreting ecosystems. The question this paper attempts to answer: how can we best mitigate and overcome challenges and obstacles posed to social innovation in growing ecosystems? To answer this, we examined empirical data from actors involved in social innovation projects from two distinct, growth-stage ecosystems: Guadalajara, Mexico and Barcelona, Spain.

The analysis yields three key constraining factors that obstruct social innovation: 1) Lack of critical mass for social innovation. 2) Fragmentation of actors' efforts in the innovation ecosystem. 3) Lack of citizen participation.

By synthesising both the existing literature and this paper's findings, we'll propose three strategies that address issues that growing ecosystems face in their efforts to implement social innovation. The first strategy refers to mechanisms that connect citizens to scientific knowledge. The second pertains to the construction of common frameworks of action by different actors. Finally, the third strategy highlights the importance of citizen participation in social innovation projects.

Keywords:

• social innovation
• innovation policy
• innovation ecosystems

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Labcoop is a second-degree organisation that is part of the cooperative group Ecos. This group was created in 2011 by eight worker cooperatives in the service sector, some of them referents of the cooperative movement in Barcelona, to strengthen the collaboration among them and promote cooperativism. Source: http://www.ub.edu/innosogo/labcoop-grupo-ecos/

2 Stone Soup Consulting is a proactive and forward-thinking international consultancy with a social heart. That help optimise organisations and social innovation initiatives through collective processes of strategy creation and implementation, so that they achieve their greatest possible impact. Source: https://stone-soup.net/our-story/

3 DAU is a pharmaceutical laboratory with more than 20 years of experience dedicated to manufacturing and packaging medicines for third parties, whose mission is to work for equal opportunities in the labour insertion of people with mental disorders. Source: https://www.laboratoridau.com/data/compromiso.php

4 Ship 2B is an organisation that promotes the Impact Economy with an economic model where the primary goal of startups, companies, investors and organizations is no longer to maximise their economic profitability but also their social and environmental impact. Source: https://www.ship2b.org/fundacion-ship2b-sobre-nosotros-impulsamos-economia-impac/

5 Momentum Project was an initiative of ESADE and BBVA aimed at promoting social entrepreneurship. To fulfil this purpose, Momentum had two lines of work: developing a programme to consolidate and increase the impact of these ventures and creating an ecosystem to support social entrepreneurs. Source: https://www.esade.edu/es/profesorado-investigacion/investigacion/unidades-conocimiento/instituto-innovacion-social/investigacion/emprendimientos-sociales/momentum-project

6 Up Social is an organisation that contributes to solving social challenges with innovations aimed at scaling their impact. It proposes to strengthen the agents of change in the face of complex challenges and to change contexts. The capacity of each actor is critical to promote innovative and scalable solutions. Source: https://www.upsocial.org/es/quienes-somos

7 Batec Mobility is a social enterprise of a collective of people with mobile disabilities who promote an inclusive, active lifestyle. They manufacture handbikes, with which they achieve a positive impact on their quality of life through improved mobility. Moreover, they employ people with and without disabilities, promoting labour inclusion. Source: https://batec-mobility.com/es/quienes-somos

8 Güifi·net is a citizen-driven technological, social and economic project that aims to create an open, accessible and neutral telecommunications network based on a commons model, promoting a model of collaborative, sustainable and proximity-based economic activity. Source: https://guifi.net/node/20627

9 Tandem Social is a non-profit worker cooperative of social initiative. They have been working since 2011 under cooperative principles and through collective management and ownership and have implemented 55 programs for economic, social, environmental, educational, and cultural transformation. Source: https://www.tandemsocial.coop/es/

10 Social Valley is a community of entrepreneurs with a vocation for social entrepreneurship, which aims to create companies where success is determined by resolving a social problem and not by the money that is billed. Source: https://www.responsabilidadsocial.net/social-valley-una-comunidad-de-emprendedores-con-vocacion/

11 El MIT Enterprise Forum (MITef) is a global organisation with 17 chapters in eight countries, affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was born under a collaboration and sought to attract and create networks with a vision and passion for driving innovation and regional entrepreneurship. MITef Mexico refers to the office in Mexico. Source: http://www.mitefmexico.org/informacion

12 GDL en Bici, is an organisation of women and men who, since 2007, have come together to work towards a common goal: to live in cities where all people have the right to urban mobility that guarantees safe, inclusive and efficient transportation in a healthy and socially just environment. Source: https://gdlenbici.org/quienes-somos/

13 Hexal is a social innovation project that promotes an intelligent device in the form of a vest illuminated by a series of LEDs to make the user-visible to any other vehicle, accompanied by luminous signals to improve communication between cyclist and driver. Source: https://mx.socialab.com/challenges/ideasdeimpactoidea/idea/27894

14 SUNU Band is a social innovation project that promotes a smart sonar band that improves navigation for the visually impaired. Sunu Band increases the user's awareness of personal space, reduces accidents, and improves confidence while providing the visually impaired with smoother and more enjoyable mobility. Source: https://www.sunu.com/es/faqs.html

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martha Leticia Silva-Flores

Martha Leticia Silva-Flores, is doctor in Social Science Studies, her research area is social innovation. She is member of the Nacional System of Researchers in Mexico, currently coordinator of research, development and innovation of the business masters of ITESO and DAI Global consultant. She has been evaluator of the National Commission of Evaluation for Higher Education in Mexico (CENEVAL) and certifier of the Association National University and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES). She has published articles in JCR and SJR journals.

David Murillo

David Murillo, PhD in Sociology; BS in Humanities, and in Business Administration. Associate Professor of the Department of Society, Politics and Sustainability at ESADE business school. He conducts research for the Institute for Social Innovation of the same school in areas like social innovation, business ethics and critical management studies.