Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation in the European Union, Perspectives and Experiences
Submitted by ECCP Team on 01 March 2022
GECES Working Group Publish Report on Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation
COVID-19 has shaken Europe to its core, testing our societies, economies and our ways of living and working together. The pandemic has exposed our vulnerabilities calling us to rethink economic and social models as well as our worldwide interdependencies. While the pandemic is still challenging our societies, the time is right to reflect on the first lessons learned, and more specifically what role the social economy can play in aspiring to build back better.
The GECES Working Group, an expert group on social economy and social enterprise, has published a report that identifies the model of Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation (CSEI) and explores their presence across the European Union. Key findings from the report include the discovery that although it is possible to identify common structural dimensions and trends, each cluster is a highly contextualized social body with characteristics (e.g. missions, activities, composition) that are usually very rich and diverse resulting in highly complex relationships and structures.
The report demonstrates the significance of CSEI, identifying the role they can play role in fostering different types of innovation with a clear priority for economic, social and ecological innovation. Further while the cross-sectoral nature of most clusters makes transfer of innovation more complex, it also allows for the development of more advanced and integrated innovations that go beyond the needs of a particular sector and focus on local or regional development.
The report expertly explores the current landscape of CSEI, identifying and analysing their composition and impact.
Find the report here to learn more.