Social Innovation: Concepts, research fields and international trends

In light of the increasing importance of social innovation, this study looks at the theoretical concepts, areas of empirical research and observable trends in the field of social innovation. This trend study starts with an overview of the current situation and the perspectives of socio-scientific innovation research that have greatly contributed to the development and spread of an enlightened socio-scientific understanding of innovation.

Against the backdrop of clear paradoxes and confusion in prevailing politics of innovation, the contours of a new innovation paradigm are becoming visible and causing social innovation to grow in importance. This is accompanied by an exploration of the question of what (new) roles social sciences can play in analyzing and shaping social innovation.

The study looks at the future fields of research and research questions and explores the possible contribution that social innovation can make in working through global dilemmas. At the same time, the theoretical concept of social innovation outlined in the study is a precondition for the development of an integrated theory of socio-technological innovation in which social innovation is more than a mere requirement, side effect and result of technical innovation. Only by taking into account the unique properties and specifics of social innovation is it possible to make the systemic connection and interdependence of social and technological innovation processes comprehensible.

About Jürgen Howaldt

Dr. Jürgen Howaldt is Director of Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund (sfs), one of the long established and major research centres for social sciences in Germany founded in 1946. Since the beginning of the year 2007 sfs is a Central Scientific Institute of the Technische Universität Dortmund with a multidisciplinary team of social scientists, economists, educators, statistical experts, engineers and computer scientists undertake research, consulting and evaluation activities.

Howaldt Jürgen holds a PhD in Social Sciences and is specialist in Industrial Sociology and Organization and professor of Sociology and Political Sciences at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (University of Dortmund) since 1990. He is President of Science Forum Ruhr eV - Association of non-university research centers and Advisory Board Member of RKW "Corporate Governance and Innovation". He has taught at the University of Bremen and Bielefeld and co-founder in 1996 of SI-consult, a consultant firm on social innovation. Is Associate Editor of the Journal of Labour and Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal "" Vision - The Journal of Business Perspective”. His topics of expertise are innovation studies and social innovation, management and organisation development, cooperation management and regional development.