This document provides an overview of a training on innovation and societal challenges. It discusses how innovation processes have become more open and collaborative in recent decades. It also notes that social and environmental challenges are often addressed separately from innovation networks. The training aims to help policymakers and business support organizations understand these issues and identify stakeholders and first steps to connect innovation and societal challenges. It outlines that societal enterprises face challenges in accessing support, markets, financing and developing business models. Larger organizations can better integrate social innovation approaches. The training emphasizes the need for collaboration across different actors like public agencies, private companies, non-profits and citizens to address problems through a shared vision for a sustainable future.

1. Why and how to transform innovation policies to face
transition challenges?
Part 1
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
processes 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 stakeholders involved).
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3. Training objectives
This training on “innovation and societal challenges” has been created for you, policy makers
and business support organizations specialists to help you better understand the challenges
and your possible role.
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
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4. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges:
towards a common path
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This training is divided into 3 sections:

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

6. Innovation and societal challenges:
towards a common path
Societal challenges are global 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 different stakeholders (public and
private organizations, entrepreneurs, experts, citizens, beneficiaries,...)
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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
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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
Specifications
Innovation purposes change:
socially-driven innovation
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What is changing ? And How ?
These specifications are
required to address societal
challenges

9. Innovation + Societal challenges
= Social Innovation *
Where and how
does social
innovation
happen ?
Everywhere
Public/Private sector
Different scales/ Local
level
* To go further on that topic, refer to
ASIS training 1 on social innovation definition
Results of joint efforts
creativity, collaboration, inclusion
shared vision: sustainable and
people-oriented future
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10. Different challenges for
“ the bees “ and “ the trees “
the “bees” small
organizations,
groups, social and
solidarity
economy actors
the “trees”
larger organizations,
governments, companies,
large NGOs
Cross-pollination :
create, spread, up-scale social
innovation, open innovation
with impacts
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.
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Example of cross-pollination :
Research and open Innovation with impacts : innovate in order to answer the needs of people.
Example of urban agriculture
● bees : a startup (Reverdir)
● trees : French institutions IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) and Laboratories
● Enterprise dedicated to responsible science : SoScience

11. To go further: Sustainable Development Goals
Better integrate societal challenges
Societal challenges are:
- numerous
- multidimensional
- complex
- urgent
how should stakeholders
position themselves ?
United Nations call for
commitment of companies
and organizations to the
Sustainable Development
Goals
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12. Look at the needs of social enterprises
* extracted from “Map of Social enterprises and their
ecosystems in Europe”, European Commission, 2020
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
enterprise
- Lack of supportive policy and legislative
framework
- Lack of specialist business development service
and support
- Difficult access 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 discomfort 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
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13. An example of 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.
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14. 1. Innovation and
societal challenges:
towards a common path
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Download Part2 from
the ASIS platform
and make sure you
are using the
Slideshow
mode to activate
hyperlinks

15. 15
Thank you for joining us on this first part of the
training.
Now go back to the platform and dowload part 2 to
discover ecosystems and our advice for public actors.
Authors : Camille Marie – Héloïse Boyer