ITSSOIN

The objective of the project is to investigate the reasons why Third Sector organizations are better at social innovation than public sector agencies and firms and, secondly, to establish  the links between civic engagement and social innovation.
With case-based testing in different fields, the ASK and CERGAS Research Centres focus on the role of the no-profit cultural sector in order to understand its social innovation capacity. Social innovation is analyzed with regard to:

• Content;
• Process (the mechanisms of interaction among individuals, organizations and contexts leading to innovation);
• Empowerment (in terms of mobilizing people, making them able to directly tackle the challenges they face).

Against this background the view on civic engagement  and cultural participation could be developed at three different levels: in the governance of the organizations; through the inclusion of marginalized people or through working inclusion; and through new technologies and social networks.