De kracht van sociale innovatie

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This document (in Dutch) of the Science and Technology Policy Advisory Council (AWT) describes how the policy and the debate on social innovation in the Netherlands has been focussing on social innovation in the sense of innovation of processes in organizations (working smarter). It has been largely focused, if it does go on, on what the AWT describes in this paper as 'Workplace Innovation'. AWT see Workplace Innovation as being of great importance for the promotion of innovation, efficiency and competitiveness of businesses and organizations. But the AWT also wants attention to be paid to the other forms in the Netherlands that are in danger of being overshadowed by Workplace Innovation, those that having rightly been given a lot of attention in several EU countries, USA and Australia.

Role of the government

The Council advises the government to adopt an active role regarding social innovation, as it provides an opportunity for the creation of public value that does not come about by market forces – indeed one could say there is a case of market failure. The AWT makes three recommendations to the joint ministries:

• Adopt and put social innovation on the agenda, in line with the European discourse and European policies;
• Give space to social innovation: create environments in which organizations and networks can experiment with new solutions to social issues; and
• Encourage social innovation through the innovation and knowledge policies.

The report suggests six concrete steps:

• Work on the infrastructure for social innovation;
• Strive for a broadening of innovation beyond the enterprise policy;
• Adjust existing business policy on social innovation;
• Provide a knowledge policy on social innovation;
• Give priority to multidisciplinary research-and ask the KNAW and NWO to bring together scientists from alpha, beta and gamma disciplines to collaborate on research into societal challenges; and
• Work together with other countries such as the UK and Belgium (Flanders).

The choice of the AWT to give a broad meaning to the concept of social innovation as it has now been established in a European context, unlike in the Netherlands, has been preceded by an extensive debate by many partners in the Netherlands over the past two decades involved with social innovation. Appendix 4 of the report is dedicated to a brief consideration of the development of social innovation/workplace innovation in the Netherlands and its history.

[Translation/extract from description on the Dutch Social Innovation Knowledge Base website]

Citation

Adviesraad voor het wetenschaps- en technologiebeleid (AWT) (2014) De kracht van sociale innovatie (advies ; 84), Den Haag, Adviesraad voor het wetenschaps- en technologiebeleid (AWT).