SOCIAL INNOVATION - definition and process

Summary

In this video, Miguel delves into social innovation, emphasizing its importance beyond technological advancements. He discusses the need for cultural and social behavioral changes for sustainability, using traffic issues as an example. The video introduces three definitions of social innovation, highlighting its origin, impact on society, and the collaborative nature of the organizations involved. It also touches on the concept of the social economy and outlines a six-phase process for social innovation, from inspiration to systemic change, using BlablaCar as a case study.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Social innovation is a shift from focusing solely on technological and scientific advancements to considering cultural and social behaviors that contribute to sustainability.
• 🚗 An example of social innovation is carpooling, which addresses the problem of urban traffic by changing how people think about car ownership and transportation.
• 🔍 According to Manzini, to achieve sustainability and maintain quality of life, we must learn to live happily while consuming less, which is a key aspect of social innovation.
• 📚 Tim Brown's book 'Change by Design' outlines four types of innovation: incremental, offering, evolutionary, and revolutionary, with social innovation often requiring revolutionary approaches.
• 💡 The definition of social innovation from 'The Open Book of Social Innovation' by Nesta and the Young Foundation emphasizes new ideas that solve social problems and enhance society's capacity to act.
• 🔗 Social innovation often involves collaboration and networking, creating a positive impact not just for users but for the whole society.
• 🌐 The social economy, where social innovation often resides, is characterized by distributed networks, blurred boundaries between consumption and production, continuous user interaction, and strong values and missions.
• 🚀 The process of social innovation includes six phases: prompt, proposals, prototyping, sustaining, scaling, and systemic change, which guide the development and implementation of innovative ideas.
• 🤝 Collaboration is crucial in the social innovation process, as it allows for the gathering of diverse perspectives and the combination of ideas to create successful solutions.
• 🌱 Successful social innovation can lead to systemic change, where the broader system and its interconnections evolve to reflect the new, more sustainable ways of thinking and behaving.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to explore the concept of social innovation, its definition, process, and examples of how it can be implemented to create a more sustainable society.

Why is social innovation important according to the script?

Social innovation is important because it addresses the need to shift from solely technological and scientific innovation to considering cultural and social behaviors that can lead to sustainability.

What is an example given in the script to illustrate the need for social innovation?

The script uses the example of traffic problems in cities, where even the most technologically advanced ecological cars would not solve the issue if every family continues to own multiple cars, indicating the need to rethink how we move from point A to point B.

Who is Manzini and what does he suggest regarding sustainability?

Manzini is mentioned as someone who talks about the need for a shift in thinking to achieve sustainability and maintain quality of life while consuming less.

What are the four types of innovation suggested by Tim Brown in his book 'Change by Design'?

Tim Brown suggests four types of innovation: incremental innovation, offering evolution, new-to-the-world innovation, and adaptive innovation.

What does the script suggest is the role of social innovation in solving complex problems?

The script suggests that social innovation is a new type of innovation that allows us to live happily while consuming much less, which is crucial for addressing complex problems like sustainability.

What is the definition of social innovation given in the script?

Social innovation is defined as new ideas that solve social problems or answer social needs by creating collaboration and networking, benefiting society as a whole and enhancing society's capacity to act.

What are the three elements that must be present to define a case as social innovation according to the script?

The three elements are: the origin must answer a real social need, the type of organization should involve networks and collaboration, and the outcome should have a positive impact on the whole society.

What is an example of social innovation mentioned in the script?

An example of social innovation mentioned is carpooling, specifically BlablaCar, which uses technology to create a global network of people sharing rides, reducing traffic and having a broader impact on society.

What is the social economy and how does it relate to social innovation?

The social economy is based on distributed networks, blurred boundaries between consumption and production, continuous interaction between users, and strong values and missions. It relates to social innovation by providing a context where social innovation can thrive and be implemented.

What are the six phases of the social innovation process described in the script?

The six phases of the social innovation process are: prompt, inspiration, proposals, prototyping, sustaining, scaling, and systemic change.