European Commission Enterprise and Industry Social innovation: How innovation policy can empower people, entrepreneurs and society Henriette van Eijl,

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Social innovation:

How innovation policy can empower people,

entrepreneurs and society

Henriette van Eijl,

European Commission, DG Enterprise ([email protected])

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

« The Europe I believe in »

“The financial and economic crisis makes creativity and innovation in general,

and social innovation in particular

even more important to foster sustainable growth, secure jobs and boost competitiveness.”

President Barroso at the BEPA Workshop on ‘Europe and Social Innovation’, 20 January 2009

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Social innovation produces innovations that meet a social need by:

Workplace innovation: empowering people

Connect social economy, social entrepreneurs, business, charities, public sector

Strong link to public sector innovation

Street-corner, local, regional, national to EU levels

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry From the 2010 SIX social innovation study commissioned by the EC

Social innovation comes in many forms:

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Social innovation

What are businesses doing here?

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Social innovation in EU companies:In the period 2006-2009:

• 50% of European companies innovated

• 50% used training as a source of innovation

• 46% of EU enterprises collect ideas for innovation from their employees

Innobarometer 2009 study

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Companies see opportunities in social innovation:

1. Increased demand for sustainable or energy-efficient products and services: 32%

2.New services and products for older consumers: 15%

3.Education, social- or health services: 12%

Innobarometer 2009 study

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

“We propose a broader sense of innovation: from business to social innovation.

Business Panel Future EU Innovation Policy, October 2009

EU Business Panel:

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Many actions support social innovation in the EU already:Innovation Teams and Units:MindLab, Denmark, The 27e Region, France

Innovation brokers and intermediaries:Innovation Exchange, UK, Social Innovation Park, Spain, Flanders Synergy (BE)

Social Innovation Funds: Estonian Development Fund, Social Enterprise Investment Fund, UK

Innovation Agencies:TEKES and SITRA (Finland), VINNOVA (Sweden)

European Funds:European Social Fund: LV, PL, DE, NL, MT , FI, SI, BEOther Structural Funds: ERDFResearch Framework Programmes

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Growth of social innovation in EU is hampered by:

• Insufficient knowledge of user needs:

social entrepreneurs, grass roots organisations, public sector, citizens

• Fragmentation of efforts and resources

• Poor diffusion and little scale-up of good practices

• Poor evaluation of actions and policise

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

11

Smart Smart

GrowthGrowth

developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation

Sustainable Sustainable GrowthGrowth

promoting a more efficient, greener and

more competitive

economy

Inclusive Inclusive

Growth Growth

fostering a high-employment

economy delivering social and territorial

cohesion

Social innovation & Europe 2020

Innovation Union Flagship: adopted 6 OctoberNew actions on social innovation

Other Flagships to come!

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Actions announced in Innovation Union:

• European Social Innovation pilot Spring 2011 kick-off: expertise and a networked 'virtual hub' for

social entrepreneurs and the public and third sectors across EU

• Support experimentation: 2010-2012: EC support pilots, capacity building and learning

networks in Member States (ESF and PROGRESS) From 2013: Mainstream social innovation in ESF

• Support research and evaluation: From 2011: EU FP7 research programme on social innovation and

public sector From 2011: pilot European Public Sector Innovation Scoreboard

• Integrate social innovation in “Innovation Partnerships”

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Thank you for your attention and looking forward cooperating with you!