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The report focus on the international field of social innovation research with its actors and networks, projects and initiatives, trends and topics, and achievements. The report mirros the thematic structure used in the EU funded project Social Innovation Community (SIC), which aims to create a ‘network of networks’ of social innovation actors by identifying, engaging and connecgting researchers, social innovators, citizens, policy makers, intermediaries, businesses, civil society organisations, public sector employees etc. SIC aims to deepen and strengthen different thematic communities and forge new connections between them. The report reflects upon these communites seperatly and provides an overview of the current research landscape in Europe and beyond. The purpose of this report is to allow for insights into the complex field of social innovation research through relatively short and not entirely academic articles. These insights should help to better understand what social innovation research is about, how it is organised through networks and communities and how it is related to practice in order to support the emergence of an inclusive social innovation research community which transcends European borders and research disciplines. The findings of the report can be used by all those who work in social innovation and are looking for new opportunities to get involved with a community, which is growing in a very dynamic way. Hence, one particular feature of this report is that it not only refers to usual suspects, but also reveals that there are important parts of the research landscape which are often not recognised as such. The report demonstrates ongoing processes of community building in all thematic areas under review. At the same time, it makes clear that more possibilities are needed for researchers to work on social innovation. Funding provided by the European Commission has been crucial for successful development of the area of social innovation. Hence, further funding opportunities will largely determine the future of social innovation and its research.

Purpose: Against the backdrop of clear paradoxes and confusion in prevailing innovation policies, the contours of a new innovation paradigm, as elaborated in this paper, are becoming visible and causing social innovation to grow in importance. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: However, innovation research is still lacking sustained and systematic analysis of social innovation, its theories, characteristics, and impacts. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a theoretically sound concept of social innovation as a precondition for an integrated theory of socio-technological innovation in which social innovation is more than an appendage of technological innovation. Key methodological aspects: The paper presents first empirical results of the global research project "SI-DRIVE: Social Innovation - Driving Force of Social Change" and introduces key findings of a global mapping of social innovation initiatives. This quantitative mapping is based upon 1.005 social innovation initiatives. Summary of key results: The mapping underlines the broad range of actors involved in the mapped initiatives and thereby confirms the need for a cross-sectoral concept of social innovation. It reveals a high diversity of social needs and societal challenges addressed by the initiatives as well as a high dependency on networks. The results also show that 90% of the initiatives are scaling. Key considerations/conclusions: Finally, on the basis of these empirical results, a recourse to Gabriel Tarde's social theory allows us to widen a perspective which was narrowed to economic and technological innovations by Schumpeter and after him by the sociology of technology, and to include social innovations in all their diversity. RESUMO Objetivo: Perante o cenário de paradoxos claros e a confusão em políticas de inovação vigentes, os contornos de um novo paradigma de inovação, como elaborado neste trabalho, estão se tornando visíveis, permitindo que a inovação social cresça em importância. Originalidade/la cuna/relevância/implicações: No entanto, as pesquisas sobre inovação ainda possuem lacunas a respeito de uma análise sustentada e sistemática sobre inovação social, suas teorias, características e impactos. O objetivo deste trabalho é focalizar, sob um enfoque teórico, o conceito de inovação social como uma condição prévia para uma teoria integrada da inovação sócio-tecnológica na qual a inovação social é mais do que um apêndice da inovação tecnológica. Principais aspectos metodológicos: O artigo apresenta os primeiros resultados empíricos do projeto de investigação global "SI-DRIVE: Social Innovation - Driving Force of Social Change" e introduz os principais achados de um mapeamento global de iniciativas de inovação social. Esse mapeamento quantitativo baseia-se em 1.005 iniciativas de inovação social. Síntese dos principais resultados: O mapeamento sublinha a ampla gama de atores envolvidos nas iniciativas mapeadas e, desse modo, confirma a necessidade de um conceito trans-setorial de inovação social. Revela uma alta diversidade de necessidades sociais e desafios societais, dirigidos pelas iniciativas, bem como uma alta dependência de redes. Os resultados também mostram que 90% das iniciativas estão em crescimento. Principais considerações/conclusões: Finalmente, com base nestes resultados empíricos e mediante a utilização da teoria social de Gabriel Tarde, é possível ampliar a perspectiva que foi elaborada para inovações econômicas e tecnológicas por Schumpeter e, posteriormente, pela Sociologia da Tecnologia, visando incluir inovações sociais em toda a sua diversidade. RESUMEN Objetivo: En el contexto de las paradojas y la confusión en las políticas de innovación existentes, los contornos de un nuevo paradigma de la innovación, elaborada en este trabajo, se están convirtiendo en visibles, permitiendo la innovación social, crece en importancia. Originalidad/laguna/relevancia/implicaciones: Sin embargo, la investigación sobre la innovación aún tiene deficiencias con respecto a un análisis sostenido y sistemático de la innovación social, sus teorías, características e efectos. El objetivo de este estudio es centrarse, desde una perspectiva teórica, el concepto de innovación social como requisito previo para una teoría integrada de la innovación socio-tecnológico en el que innovación social es más que un apéndice de la innovación tecnológica. Principales aspectos metodológicos: El artículo presenta los primeros resultados empíricos del proyecto mundial de investigación "SI-DRIVE: Social Innovation - Driving Force of Social Change" y presenta las principales conclusiones de una asignación global de las iniciativas de innovación social. Este mapeo cuantitativo se basa en 1.005 iniciativas la innovación social. Síntesis de los principales resultados: El mapa pone de relieve la amplia gama de actores que participan en las iniciativas asignadas y, por lo tanto, confirma la necesidad de un concepto sectorial transversal de la innovación social. Revela una gran diversidad de necesidades sociales y retos de la sociedad, impulsada por las iniciativas y una alta dependencia de las redes. Los resultados también muestran que el 90% de las iniciativas están creciendo. Principales consideraciones/conclusiones: Por último, sobre la base de estos resultados empíricos a través de la utilización de la teoría social de Gabriel Tarde, es posible ampliar una perspectiva que está diseñado para las innovaciones tecnológicas y económicas por Schumpeter y más tarde por la Sociología de la Tecnología con el fin de incluir las innovaciones sociales en toda su diversidad.

The article examines research on Social Innovation in the European Union with a special focus on the experience of one of the current protagonists in this field, TU Dortmund University – sfs. Research on Social Innovation has increased significantly in the recent years and, driven largely by EU programme funding, an important knowledge base has emerged which allows for a better understanding of Social Innovation. Social Sciences and Humanities play an important role in this process. However, the most urgent research questions still remain unanswered. The article presents the global research project SI-DRIVE, which seeks to contribute to a significantly better understanding of Social Innovation, as well as further Social Innovation research projects by TU Dortmund University – sfs. While focusing on Social Innovation developments in the EU and current projects such as SI-DRIVE, the article reflects on possible conclusions for research processes in Latin America.