This document discusses how innovation policies need to adapt to address societal challenges. It argues that innovation is becoming more open, collaborative, and ecosystem-based. It also notes that social and environmental challenges are often addressed separately from innovation networks. The document recommends that innovation policies embrace openness, interaction, and an ecosystem approach to better connect innovation with societal issues. It provides examples of how different stakeholders like social enterprises, companies, public organizations, and experts can work together in innovation ecosystems and form alliances to solve complex societal problems.

1. Why and how transform innovation policies to face
transition challenges ?
Innovation and
societal challenges

2. Introduction
Innovation processes have changed in the last decade : open innovation is now the rule ;
innovation has become more people-oriented, driven by an ecosystem, and innovation
process are step by step opening up to societal issues.
On the other hand, social and environmental challenges are addressed by specific actors, still
disconnected from powerful existing innovation networks.
Innovation support policies need to adapt to this context and embrace an ongoing change of
paradigm. This means answering a more complex (various dimensions to consider) and a
more collaborative environment (more skills and stakeholder involved).
2

3. Training objectives
This training on “innovation and societal challenges” is dedicated to policy makers and
business support organizations to help them better understand the context and their
possible role to face the challenges.
After the training, you should be able to :
- understand the future trends in the innovation field, and the possible links with social
innovation
- identify the key stakeholders and their role in an innovative project connected to societal
issues
- choose the first actions to implement in your sphere of influence
3

4. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges :
towards a common path
4

5. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges :
towards a common path
5

6. Innovation and societal challenges :
toward a common path
Societal challenges are global and and cooperation of different stakeholders is vital to
solve them.
Social Innovation enables to address social and environmental challenges through
innovation by collaborating and acting with different stakeholders but often on a small
scale with limited financial means.
Innovation brings levers of growth for traditional companies in general. What about
societal enterprises and initiatives ?
At the same time, innovation evolves towards an ecosystemic approach.
Solutions need to be built by the co-involvement of differents stakeholders (public and
private organisations, entrepreneurs, experts, citizens, beneficiaries,...)
6

7. extracted from “Innovation at every level : open innovation
ecosytems”, European Commission, 2017
Innovation evolution in
the last decade :
- ecosystemic
- cross-organizational
more collaborative
From closed innovation to open innovation
7

8. Innovation evolution:a paradigm change
Dependency Independency Interdependecy
Subcontracting Cross-licensing Cross-fertilisation
Solo Cluster Ecosystem
Planning Validation, pilots Experimentation
Control Management Orchestration
Single entity Single discipline Interdisciplinary
Value chain Value network Value constellation
extracted from “Innovation at every level : open innovation
ecosytems”, European Commission, 2017
Recommended drivers for a
modern innovation policy:
- interconnectivity
- openness
- interaction
- ecosystemic approach
- crowdsourcing
These specifications are
required to address societal
challenges
Specifications
Innovation purposes :
socially-driven innovation
8

9. Innovation + Societal challenges
= Social Innovation *
Where and how
does social
innovation
happen ?Everywhere
Public/Private sector
Different scales/ Local
level
Results of joint efforts
creativity, collaboration, inclusion
shared vision : sustainable and
people-oriented future
* To go further on that topic, refer to ASIS
training 1 on social innovation definition
9

10. Different challenges for
“ the bees “ and “ the trees “
the “bees”
small
organizations,
groups, social
and solidarity
economy actors
the “trees”
larger
organizations
government,
companies,
large NGOs
Cross-pollination :
create, spread, up-scale
social innovation
The “ bees “, especially social
enterprises can learn from
entrepreneurial and innovation
culture.
The “ trees “, public and private
organizations, can better integrate
social and environmental
challenges and SI methods into
their practices
10
extracted from “Fostering Innovation to address Social Challenges”,
workshop proceedings, OECD, 2011

11. To go further: Sustainable Development Goals
Better integrate societal challenges
Societal challenges are :
- numerous
- multidimensional
- complex
- urgent
how should stakeholders may
position themselves ?
Sustainable Development
Goals
United Nations call for
commitment of companies
and organizations
11

12. Look at the needs of social enterprises
* extracted from “Map of Social enterprises and their
ecosystem in Europe”, European Commission, 2015
The potential of social enterprises in Europe is still underdeveloped *.
Let’s try to understand why ...
External factors
- Poor understanding of the concept of social
entreprise
- Lack of supportive policy and legislative
framework
- Lack of specialist business development service
and support
- Difficulties in accessing to the market
- Difficulties in accessing finance from external
sources
- Absence of common mechanisms for measuring
and demonstrating social impact
Internal factors
- Lack of viable business models
(difficulty and/or moral inconfort to
conjugate general and social interest
and revenue)
- High reliance on public sector as a
source of revenue
- Lack of entrepreneurial
spirit/commercial acumen
- Lack of managerial and professional
skills/competencies necessary for
scaling up activity
12

13. Origintrail - state-of-the-art technology
serving responsible consumption
Origintrail is a slovenian start-up using
blockchain technology and its decentralized and
collaborative power to trace the origin of
products.
Aims pursued : traceability for consumers and
increased visibility for producers on a local scale,
better food quality and transparency, reduced
environmental impact of food chain.
13

14. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges :
towards a common path
14

15. Build alliances between stakeholders :
what for ?
● Deal with complexity : societal challenges are at the same time people-
oriented, local, territorial, global
● Face multidimensional challenges with multidisciplinary skills
● Create adapted and relevant solutions with the direct involvement of
targeted people
● Share knowledge
● Mutualise resources, join forces, reduce costs
● Develop a systemic approach of the project
● Act rapidly : make test, trial-error, learn, iterate, prototype
● Participate in a global change : start small and scale-up in order to
maximize the social/positive/environmental impact.
15

16. Discover Social Innovation Ecosystems
People
Public, State
Organizations
Associations
NGOs
Foundations
Social
Enter-
-prises
Experts
Finance
Companies
Platforms
Incubators
16

17. Social Enterprises
entrepreneurs,
cooperatives, social and
solidarity-based economy
enterprises
● Shared governance
● Bring ideas, creativity
● People-oriented, needs-oriented
● Willing to create systemic changes
and sustainable improvement
● Committed to sustain and
maximize positive impactExamples :
WHO Mission in Social innovation
Social
Enter- -
prises
ImpactHub : Hub to gather social and citizen entrepreneurship with
infrastructures
EU Mapping : Mapping study of social enterprises and their ecosystems,
EMES, International Research Network. In Europe and by country
+ ecosystem
back
to the
map
17

18. People
People
Community
Ecosytem-centric
● User as innovator
● Citizen as innovator
● Customer as innovator
● Beneficiaries
● Investor
Example :
WHO Role in Social innovation
People
WiSEED : Crowdfunding platform to invest in social/environmental projects
(Start-up, cooperation, SME…)
back
to the
map
18

19. Associations, NGOs, Foundations
Non-profit organisations :
associations, foundations
Non-governmental
organisations
● Non-profit oriented : based on
motivation
● Knowledge on a specific study
area
● Links to community, a territory
people with specificities
● Ability to federate
● Skill-based sponsorship
● Financing
Example :
WHO Role in Social innovation
Non
profit
sector
Ashoka : Non-profit organization based on charity, dedicated to form a
community of changemakers (Worldwide)
back
to the
map
19

20. Public organizations
Public organizations
state organizations
business support
organizations
● Public and common services
oriented
● Knowledge of a territory
● Link to citizen needs
● Ability to federate
● Ability to direct public policies
● Facilitate actions using network
● Support activities developmentExample :
Public, State Organizations
WHO Role in Social innovation
Public,
State
Organiza-
tions
Start-up de territoire (France, different
regions)
back
to the
map
20

21. Companies
small and medium
enterprises
big companies
● Incitator for the market and the
society : “nudge” effect
● Scaled for productivity, mass-effect
● Share facilities
● Skill-based sponsorship
● Knowledge of specific markets and
users
WHO Role in Social innovation
Companies
Example :
Social Joint Venture (SJV) in favor of social integration ((France) LIVA
back
to the
map
21

22. Experts
R&D, academics,
universities
laboratories
advisory offices
● Knowledge in specific area : R&D,
technological, social and science
● Consulting : project, change,
innovation management,
development
● Impact evaluation or measurement
WHO Role in Social innovation
Experts
Example :
REC innovation : Network of entrepreneurs and experts in social innovation
linked to the territories (France)
back
to the
map
22

23. Finance
Foundations, banks,
investments funds,
States, Public
finance, Europe
funds, calls for
proposal, incubator
● Lever effect
● Take part of the risks
● Finance specific steps (beginning,
R&D, scale-up…)
● Long term partnership
● Crowdfunding
Examples :
WHO Role in Social innovation
Finance
FA-SE : Network of invest funds for impact entreprises (Europe)
LITA : Impact Invest funds for impact entreprises (Europe)
back
to the
map
23

24. Incubators
Business incubator,
activities catalysors,
● Support entrepreneurs in their
activities : feasibility, development…
● Accelerate business development
● Finance activities
Examples :
WHO Role in Social innovation
Incubators
INCO : Accelerating and financing for incubators and social start-ups
(Worldwide)
Transition : Transnational Network for Social Innovation Incubation (Europe)
back
to the
map
24

25. Platforms
Territory platforms,
living-lab, open
social innovation lab,
think-tank
● Sharing knowledge
● Think of new solutions
● Connections between entities
● Create new methodologies
● Facilitate network
● Third place that favors meetings
and creating new projects
● Hybrid business models
● Shared governance model
Example :
WHO
Role in Social innovation
Platforms
Convergences : International platform/ think tank, for mobilisation, advocacy and promotion of
SDG (Zero Carbon, Zero exclusion, Zero poverty) on territories. Gathering over 500 organizations.
back
to the
map
25

26. From the ecosystem to alliances
Now you know the different types of actors you may look for in your ecosystem to start
building new forms of alliances.
Some stakeholders already are active partners, you can create opportunities for them too
while opening up to new stakeholders and type of actors. The interconnectivity of your
different networks will be a powerful tool.
Learn from others, be inspired, apply mechanisms from other areas and communities and
build on your experience of innovation processes and risk management * !
* To go further on this topic, refer to ASIS
training 4 on risk management in SI
26

27. Andyamo - example of an
innovant social business
Andyamo is an example of a social
business tightly working with its
ecosystem : public authorities,
companies and a community of
beneficiaries.
This french start-up launched in the
Alp region is part of the
international movement Tech for
Good.
27

28. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges :
towards a common path
28

29. Reinvent Innovation policies
How should policy makers and other societal stakeholders behave in the context of
societal challenges ? Which role and position should they get ?
The challenges faced by modern economies urgently call for new forms of collective
action between public, private stakeholders in order to :
- better support social impact project and the development of social enterprises and
also to
- better integrate social challenges into research and innovation policies
This new approach of innovation public policies is emerging, building traditional
innovation impact, experience, networks and opening up to other tools and methods
coming from other actors and fields of actions.
29

30. How to get started ?
Learn
Cooperation : Take part in a Social Innovation project
Share Cooperate
30

31. How to get started ?
Cooperation : Take part in a Social Innovation project
Inform
Understand societal challenges
Open up to existing projects and trends, watch needs
expressed by society, motivation of civil servants
Get inspired
Train
Train civil servants to innovative ways of working
Acquire knowledge on socially-driven innovation
Get tools allowing to follow innovative projects
Be inspired by other public or private projects,
initiatives
extract good practices from model cases
What for ?
● Sensitize citizens and actors
to social issues
● Communicate on positive
impact projects
● Demonstrate social utility
● Acculturate to agile
processes
● be ready to help/ support the
management of complex
project
● Apply, try, mechanisms from
others areas or communities
Learn
31

32. How to get started ?
Share
Cooperation : Take part in a Social Innovation project
Connect Identify stakeholders, select stakeholders to work
with
Favor links between people from different areas :
facilitate, inter-connect, network, third places...
Communicate
Mutualise Favor the circularity and mutualisation of resources,
methodologies, technologies, knowledge, skills
Melp the matching needs / skills
Inform on societal challenges
Highlight successful social projects ⇒ nudge effect *
Promote some of them among differents actors
What for ?
● Expose the social utility of
projects
● Get people informed and
concerned
● Inspire people to engage
● Facilitate the addressing
● of multidisciplinary issues
● Favor cooperation between
actors
● Create links in the
ecosystem for social
innovation
* See “Nudge” effect in resources
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33. How to get started ?
Cooperate
Cooperation : Take part in a Social Innovation project
Federate
Co-drive
Work together
Involve all relevant stakeholders (process of
selection ? governance ?)
Build partnerships : mid or long-term relationship
based on shared risk and reward
Try, apply and adapt tools you have discovered
Collectively drive the project
Governance plays a crucial role
in social projects
Cooperation and collective
intelligence generate value
creation and can be a source
of innovation
Social innovation is made for
and by the people concerned
What for ?
Involve actively elected representatives and civil
servants - Federate on a shared vision, shared issues
Build a common project with stakeholders
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34. Moving a step forward
Experiment
iterate before
up-scale
Be a changemaker : re-invent innovation policies
Open to all social
innovation specificities
Use new indicators
based on the social
impact desired
34

35. Moving a step forward
Be a changemaker : re-invent innovation policies
● Adapt the way of working : collaborative-based mode
● Identify and involve stakeholders : inclusion of beneficiaries and people
● Share vision, values ⇒ share the decision making and management
(which governance?)
Experiment
iterate before up-scale
Adapt
Innovate
● Take advantages from innovation processes (plan - do - act rapidly , fail
early, learn fast)
● Apply mechanisms and systems from other areas
● Involve stakeholders from creativity to implementation of an idea
⇒ create new with your ecosystem
Begin with prototyping : test, experiment, trial-error tolerance, iterate
up-scale after having demonstrated sustainabilityPrototype
35

36. Moving a step forward
Be a changemaker : re-invent innovation policies
Re-define the values of a social project : what for? for who ?
Value description : which criteria ?
Who are the people involved and to be involved ?
How to demonstrate
the sustainability ?
Define new indicators To demonstrate utility : define new indicators based on the impact
desired
Help to develop tools for measuring impact
Use common mechanisms and indicators with others stakeholders in
order to compare projects and harmonize policies
Harmonize
Use new indicators based on
the social impact desired
To go further on that topic, refer to ASIS guidelines
n°1 on indicators and social impact evaluation 36

37. Moving a step forward
Be a changemaker : re-invent innovation policies
Open to all social
innovation specificities
To go further on that topic, refer to ASIS training n°5 on public policies and SI
Promote
Facilitate
Support
- The cooperation between actors (communicate, create events,...)
- The mutualisation of places, resources, methodologies, technologies from your
ecosystem that can be source of innovation
Facilitate the implementation of the projects at differents steps :
- prototyping test that need public territories, areas
- connect people with your network (ecosystem) for feasibility, development
- help the up-scaling in taking active participation
Adapt the way of supporting with mechanisms adapted to socially-driven innovation
- management project with different actors : governance
- detection of project with societal value : with a common grid of characterization
- follow-up with indicators based on impact
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38. Conclusion
Innovation is one of the solutions to meet the extremely demanding social and
environmental challenges our alpine space region is facing.
This is already happening in projects with new forms of partnerships and alliances, new
ways of collaborating.
Actors from innovation field, social entrepreneurs and public actors all have the keys to
become change makers and they need one another to make a sustainable difference.
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39. Resources
Centre of resources :
● European resource OECD: Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
● Portail AVISE (French and English) : Publications
● Forum on Social Innovation (OECD): Proceedings
Tools:
● Tools to improve your social and inclusive entrepreneurship Policy The Better entrepreneurship Policy
Tool (OECD and European commission)
Example of experimentations:
● Nudge effect (Europe): TEN
● Methodologic Pack to create a Social Joint Venture: JVS (french)
● Public innovation (France): la 27eme région
● Interreg project: OSIRIS
Example of ecosystem (France):
Map of an exhaustive map of a social innovation ecosystem Techforgood
39

40. Take the quiz and
test your knowledge !
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41. Thank you for joining us on this training !
See you soon on the ASIS platform
https://socialinnovationstrategy.eu/