In recent years, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund (sfs) has been very active within the debate about the increasing importance of social innovation, making this research field its main topic. This commitment goes along with the transition from an industrial society to a knowledge and service society which has caused a fundamental change of the innovation paradigm. In this context, social innovations are gaining greater importance over technical innovations and, at the same time, are becoming more important in the areas where commercial and public sector organizations have failed.
At Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, we comprehend social innovation as a
new combination and/or new configuration of social practices in certain areas of action or social contexts prompted by certain actors or constellations of actors in an intentional targeted manner with the goal of better satisfying or answering needs and problems than is possible on the basis of established practices (Howaldt/Schwarz 2010, 26).
What we do
In this light, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund is working on the theoretical foundations of socio-scientific innovation research and its practical implementation. We do not only put a stress on the careful exploration and analysis of social innovations but also try to play an active role in their creation and diffusion in order to contribute to solving problems at different societal levels. Several tasks are important in this context:
- Refining the term of social innovation with regards to its content and concept
- Analysing processes and problems as well as developing possible solutions under the perspective of social innovation
- Investigating specific contexts and detecting fostering and impeding elements
Our multiple research projects and activities focus on social innovations from different perspectives and comprise several research fields across industries and services. Main working areas in this context are:
- Innovation management, organisational, network and knowledge management
- Sustainability
- Social media
- Education, vocational training and human resource development
Projects
Recent research projects among others address these topics:
-
dynaklim:
Anticipating the issue of "Climate change" with many relevant actors in water supply from the region of Emscher-Lippe, balancing consequences to act in the region and to integrate them in planning processes. Processes of roadmapping with a wider scope are used to achieve this goal. -
Integro:
Innovation Management for SMEs; information about Innovation Management 2.0, organization of knowledge work and the role of employees, support of Enterprise 2.0, Open Innovation, leadership in innovation processes. -
KC4all:
"Improving Key Competences of Citizens at Risk of Exclusion from the Labour Market" by using tele-learning centres.
Event: Challenge Social Innovation
Additionally, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund is
actively participating in the dissemination and promotion
of the concept of social innovation as a scientific research field.
The conference
"Challenge Social Innovation – Innovating Innovation by Research – 100 Years After Schumpeter",
organised by sfs and its international partners,
was the biggest scientific conference on social innovation in 2011
and can be seen as a milestone in this process of mainstreaming.
An important result of this conference has been the elaboration
of the so-called
Vienna Declaration
regarding “The most needed
social innovations and related research topics”.
Publications
For further information about the field of social innovation and the approach of Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, see the following publications in English and in German language:
- Birke, Martin; Hasse, Jens; Lieber, Manfred; Rauscher, Nicole; Schwarz, Michael: Roadmap 2020. Der Weg zu einer regionalen Klimaanpassungsstrategie, Broschüre, Essen August 2011
- Domanski, Dmitri; Howaldt, Jürgen; Schwarz, Michael: Rethinking Social Entrepreneurship: The Concept of Social Entrepreneurship under the Perspective of Socio-scientific Innovation Research. Conference paper, 3rd International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), 12th-13th September 2011
- Franz, Hans-Werner: Quality Management Is Ongoing Social Innovation. In: Müller, Karel; Roth, Steffen; Zak, Milan (eds.): Social Dimension of Innovation, Prag, 2010, S. 115-130
-
Howaldt, Jürgen; Jacobsen, Heike (eds): Soziale Innovation.
Auf dem Weg zu einem postindustriellen Innovationsparadigma.
Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2010
- Howaldt, Jürgen; Kopp, Ralf; Schwarz, Michael: Shaping Innovation by Social Research - the New Role of the Social Sciences. In: Harrisson, Denis; Szell, György; Bourque, Reynald (eds.): Social Innovation, the Social Economy and World Economic Development; Frankfurt a.M.: Peter Lang, 2009, S. 245-260
-
Howaldt, Jürgen; Schwarz, Michael: Social Innovation:
Concepts, Research Fields and International Trends.
Studies for Innovation in a Modern Working Environment - International Monitoring,
Eds. Klaus Henning, Frank Hees, Volume 5; Aachen: Eigenverlag, 2010
Download
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Howaldt, Jürgen; Schwarz, Michael: "Soziale Innovation" im Fokus.
Skizze eines gesellschaftstheoretisch inspirierten Forschungskonzepts,
Bielefeld: transcript, 2010
- Howaldt, Jürgen; Schwarz, Michael: Zur Rolle der Sozialwissenschaften in gesellschaftlichen Innovationsprozessen, in: Beck, Gerald; Kropp, Cordula (Hrsg.): Gesellschaft innovativ. Wer sind die Akteure?, Wiesbaden VS-Verlag, S. 47- 64
- Kaletka, Christoph; Kopp, Ralf; Pelka, Bastian: Social Media Revisited. User Generated Content as a Social Innovation for eInclusion, 2011
- Kopp, Ralf: Social Innovation and Interactive Value Creation as Strategic Demand for Management. In: Hülsmann, Michael; Pfeffermann, Nicole (eds.): Strategies and Communications for Innovations, Berlin: Springer Verlag, 2011, S. 73-93
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Kopp, Ralf: About the Reinvention of the Management of Innovation.
CSI Discussion Paper, Nr. 22, Vienna: Centre for Social Innovation (self-publishing), 2012
Download
(For non-commercial purposes offered for free download) -
Schröder, Antonius: Implementing Innovative Structures to Improve Lifelong Learning - A Social Innovation Process. The Example HESSENCAMPUS
CSI Discussion Paper, Nr. 28, Vienna: Centre for Social Innovation (self-publishing), 2012
Download
(For non-commercial purposes offered for free download)
