“The EU will put more money in social innovation not because it’s trendy, but because we feel social innovation is the future” Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, European Commission.
Sevilla was the elected city to celebrate the final event of the SIC project. During two days, the Andalusian capital brought together experts, thinkers and social innovators from all Europe to debate, discuss and generate ideas about how to create a more socially innovative Europe.
With the memories, still alive, of the support to social Innovation declaration by Mr. Moedas, the SIC Final event was inaugurated in Sevilla on November 12&13. The event was thus timely to start discussing how to turn the declaration into action. Therefore, Social Innovation Declaration was at the core of ‘Beyond Imagination: a socially innovative Europe’, a path to a fairer, more inclusive Europe that offers 3 principles, 5 key priorities and 10 practical policy recommendations. You can sign the #SIDeclaration here.
SIC’s final event in Seville last month focused on the past, present and future putting on the agenda key topics such as
- What does it take to design the future we want?
- How can we use more experimentation and participatory learning approaches?
- What is the role of research and technology in Social Innovation?
- How the #SIDeclaration can influence future policy?
- How do we need to work differently in order to tackle the challenges ahead?
The event was a great opportunity not just to know more about what the SIC project has achieved in its three years of life but it was also a good time to connect and network with best practices on social innovation developed around Europe. Besides speakers’ presentations, workshops and panel discussions, it was also time to visit local organizations that are putting social innovation into practice in Seville.
Speakers’ presentations are now available at this link.
About SIC
Social Innovation Community (SIC) is a Horizon 2020 funded project aiming to help deepen knowledge and capacity to act and grow social innovation and to support public and other decisionmakers to work with social innovators more effectively in solving public challenges.
SIC started from the premise that we need more open innovation approaches to effectively address societal challenges.