This project will demonstrate the potential of universities to use their knowledge in order to affect social change in a direct and meaningful way. It will do this by developing new paradigms and tools for knowledge exchange practice that embrace social innovation, encourage social entrepreneurship and offer more effective support to local communities. The Partners - leading socially innovative universities and experienced social innovation drivers - will work together to create an ecosystem that nurtures and supports sustainable, resilient and responsible innovation. The Knowledge Alliance project will :1) Support social innovation through knowledge exchange by: forging alliances between the stakeholders of the social innovation ecosystem, from business, local government, civil society organisations and community groups and develop Social Innovation through Knowledge Exchange (SIKE) Units that will specifically develop and adapt knowledge exchange tools and processes to the needs of social innovators; 2) Stimulate social entrepreneurial skills within the University and the regional community by: offering facilities for social innovation incubation and hot-desking facilities; linking services for connecting social entrepreneurs and community groups with the knowledge base of the university; offering resources, processes and expertise to evaluate and demonstrate the value of social innovation to policymakers. 3) Develop training programmes for professional development in social innovation that will allow external stakeholders to benefit from the academic expertise of the university partners while also allowing the universities to access the practical experience and real-life know-how of social innovation professionals.
•Forge alliances between the stakeholders of the social innovation ecosystem, and develop Social Innovation through Knowledge Exchange (SIKE) Units that adapt knowledge exchange tools and processes to the needs of social innovators; •Stimulate social entrepreneurial skills within the University and the regional community.•Develop a training programme that will allow combine academic expertise and real-life know-how of social innovation professionals.
“Social innovations are new ideas (products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs (more effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or collaborations.” (Murray, Caulier-Grice and Mulgan, March 2010). With the recent crises in democracy, the covid pandemic and the climate emergency, the need to understand the processes involved in transforming society at a systemic level is more urgent than ever.
<< Background >> “Social innovations are new ideas (products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs (more effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or collaborations.” (Murray, Caulier-Grice and Mulgan, March 2010). With the recent crises in democracy, the covid pandemic and the climate emergency, the need to understand the processes involved in transforming society at a systemic level is more urgent than ever. << Objectives >> •Forge alliances between the stakeholders of the social innovation ecosystem, and develop Social Innovation through Knowledge Exchange (SIKE) Units that adapt knowledge exchange tools and processes to the needs of social innovators; •Stimulate social entrepreneurial skills within the University and the regional community.•Develop a training programme that will allow combine academic expertise and real-life know-how of social innovation professionals. << Implementation >> The SIKE project has taken a co-creative approach in developing parallel initiatives within five partnering regions. The project has delivered its objectives through 9 work packages (WPs)implemented over three phases: i) Preparation and Contextualisation; ii) Implementation; and iii) Consolidation and Validation. Centred around the establishment of SIKE Units at each partner HEI the project was implemented through training and online tools for driving social innovation and measuring impact. << Results >> The project has supported SI engagement for over 50 social innovations, over 400 individuals and 50 organisations and has helped drive 75 new SI projects through the work of each unit. The initiatives and tools have been specially designed to be inclusive and transferable to other organisations and will help to promote guidelines for social impact. In this sense the project aims to ensure that the outcomes and impact of the initiatives developed are demonstrable and measurable.