Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INNONEXUS (Innovation Nexus)
Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Recognizing the need to cultivate social innovation ecosystems across Europe, INNONEXUS is committed to enhancing the role of HEIs as drivers of social innovation. The project aims to balance the fourth helix by engaging diverse stakeholders, including social innovation actors, SMEs, start-ups, accelerators, investors, and more.
Our methodology consists of two phases:
i. Capacity Building for Innovation Actors:
-Focus on enhancing the capabilities of innovation actors to collaborate effectively with social entrepreneurs.
-Empowering stakeholders to navigate the social innovation landscape and drive impactful change.
ii. Access to Innovation Ecosystem Resources for Social Innovation Actors:
-Facilitating social innovation actors' access to resources within innovation ecosystems.
-Promoting collaboration and resource-sharing among stakeholders to amplify social impact.
Our methodology consists of two phases:
i. Capacity Building for Innovation Actors:
-Focus on enhancing the capabilities of innovation actors to collaborate effectively with social entrepreneurs.
-Empowering stakeholders to navigate the social innovation landscape and drive impactful change.
ii. Access to Innovation Ecosystem Resources for Social Innovation Actors:
-Facilitating social innovation actors' access to resources within innovation ecosystems.
-Promoting collaboration and resource-sharing among stakeholders to amplify social impact.
The project has successfully implemented a range of activities aimed at achieving its specific objectives:
-The project has developed a comprehensive toolkit to guide HEIs in integrating the social innovation dimension into academic curricula. This toolkit offers actionable strategies and best practice case studies to foster collaboration across institutions. The toolkit has been completed and is set to be disseminated during upcoming cultivation events and the social innovation festival.
-Workshops and sessions with various innovation actors, including Digital Innovation Hubs, have been conducted to identify best practices and challenges in working with social innovation. Insights gathered from cross-industry players have contributed to the production of relevant information materials aimed at capacity building among innovation actors.
-Initiatives such as Design Jams, Prototyping Funds, and Impact Builders have been successfully implemented to enhance ideation in social innovation. These programs have brought together entrepreneurs, specialists, and students from diverse backgrounds to co-create solutions for sustainable cities, fashion, and other social challenges.
-The consortium has gathered examples of scalable and replicable business models in social innovation, showcasing impactful narratives of enterprises driving positive change in Europe. These case studies highlight key themes such as hybrid leadership, community building, and strategic financing for scalability, providing valuable insights for future initiatives.
-Efforts have been made to pave the way for the creation of a pan-European festival on social innovation. Deliverables outlining models for amplification and engagement before, during, and after the event have been submitted, with plans in place to leverage the consortium's network for maximum impact.
-Considerations for the creation of a pan-European reference festival on social innovation are underway, with ongoing discussions and preparations to mobilize actors within the innovation ecosystems and highlight the societal benefits of social innovation projects.
-Collaboration with platform providers is ongoing to establish an open platform on social innovation, serving as the project's legacy. This platform will facilitate participant interaction, resource sharing, and ongoing support for innovators post-event.
-An impact measurement framework has been developed to effectively measure the impact of project initiatives.
-The project has developed a comprehensive toolkit to guide HEIs in integrating the social innovation dimension into academic curricula. This toolkit offers actionable strategies and best practice case studies to foster collaboration across institutions. The toolkit has been completed and is set to be disseminated during upcoming cultivation events and the social innovation festival.
-Workshops and sessions with various innovation actors, including Digital Innovation Hubs, have been conducted to identify best practices and challenges in working with social innovation. Insights gathered from cross-industry players have contributed to the production of relevant information materials aimed at capacity building among innovation actors.
-Initiatives such as Design Jams, Prototyping Funds, and Impact Builders have been successfully implemented to enhance ideation in social innovation. These programs have brought together entrepreneurs, specialists, and students from diverse backgrounds to co-create solutions for sustainable cities, fashion, and other social challenges.
-The consortium has gathered examples of scalable and replicable business models in social innovation, showcasing impactful narratives of enterprises driving positive change in Europe. These case studies highlight key themes such as hybrid leadership, community building, and strategic financing for scalability, providing valuable insights for future initiatives.
-Efforts have been made to pave the way for the creation of a pan-European festival on social innovation. Deliverables outlining models for amplification and engagement before, during, and after the event have been submitted, with plans in place to leverage the consortium's network for maximum impact.
-Considerations for the creation of a pan-European reference festival on social innovation are underway, with ongoing discussions and preparations to mobilize actors within the innovation ecosystems and highlight the societal benefits of social innovation projects.
-Collaboration with platform providers is ongoing to establish an open platform on social innovation, serving as the project's legacy. This platform will facilitate participant interaction, resource sharing, and ongoing support for innovators post-event.
-An impact measurement framework has been developed to effectively measure the impact of project initiatives.
The INNONEXUS project has achieved significant results that go beyond the state of the art in the field of social innovation. The project has successfully facilitated the active participation of social innovation actors in innovation ecosystems, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among various stakeholders. By creating a network of innovation actors and promoting capacity-building initiatives, INNONEXUS has enhanced the integration of social innovation within the broader innovation community. Moreover, the project has developed innovative tools and resources, such as toolkits, reports, and impact measurement frameworks, to support social innovation engagement in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and beyond. These deliverables provide practical guidance and strategies for enhancing social innovation initiatives and scaling up successful models.
INNONEXUS has also showcased scalable and replicable business models in social innovation, demonstrating the transformative potential of social innovation actors and encouraging wider engagement from other ecosystem players. Through workshops, prototyping funds, and impact builder programs, the project has equipped participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive social innovation forward.
To ensure the continued success and uptake of the project results, key needs may include:
-Further research on the long-term impact of social innovation initiatives developed during the project.
-Demonstration of the scalability and replicability of successful business models to attract more stakeholders.
-Access to markets and finance for social innovation projects to support their growth and sustainability.
-Commercialization strategies to bring innovative solutions to the market and maximize their impact.
-Support for intellectual property rights (IPR) protection to safeguard the innovations developed within the project.
-Internationalization efforts to expand the reach of social innovation initiatives and foster global collaboration.
INNONEXUS has also showcased scalable and replicable business models in social innovation, demonstrating the transformative potential of social innovation actors and encouraging wider engagement from other ecosystem players. Through workshops, prototyping funds, and impact builder programs, the project has equipped participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive social innovation forward.
To ensure the continued success and uptake of the project results, key needs may include:
-Further research on the long-term impact of social innovation initiatives developed during the project.
-Demonstration of the scalability and replicability of successful business models to attract more stakeholders.
-Access to markets and finance for social innovation projects to support their growth and sustainability.
-Commercialization strategies to bring innovative solutions to the market and maximize their impact.
-Support for intellectual property rights (IPR) protection to safeguard the innovations developed within the project.
-Internationalization efforts to expand the reach of social innovation initiatives and foster global collaboration.