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The aim of this paper is to investigate whether social innovation has taken root in the last two decades in the social economy sector of the Principality of Asturias (Spain) as a key enterprise development factor in the current post-crisis environment derived from successive financial, health and geopolitical crises. For this, it is conceptually defined, firstly, what is understood by social innovation and its basic dimensions, reflecting on the extent to which the social economy sector can be considered as socially innovative. After that, the methodology and the main results of a study carried out through a review of specialized literature and a qualitative analysis through in-depth interviews with a sample of 21 heads of social enterprise, institutions or corporate entities linked to the sector in Asturias are presented. These results show how, indeed, the principles of social innovation are beginning to be adopted by the sector, albeit in an incipient way as a consequence of different weaknesses associated with its degree of entrepreneurship, organizational structure and development strategy. The paper ends by suggesting a series of recommendations that could contribute to the promotion of the sector as a whole and of the enterprises that make it up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to build the satellite accounts of the Social Economy enterprises in Asturias for 2005, in order to ascertain the chief macroeconomic dimensions so that the importance, strengths and weaknesses of this sector may be explored. These accounts are drawn up according to type of activity and enterprise. A prior descriptive analysis of the Social Economy of Asturias has been made, both at the level of sector enterprises and the employment it generates; likewise, a geographical study of where these third sector enterprises are located and their characteristics has also been undertaken. To enrich the data, a comparative study of the importance of the Social Economy in relation to the "rest" of the economy of Asturias and with the Social Economy nationally was also made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]