The first step in a collective dynamic: structuring, coordinating and disseminating social innovation to respond better, faster, with and for everyone.
Social innovation: more than just a fad
Social innovation refers to the implementation of new, relevant and sustainable solutions to social needs that are little or poorly met, by mobilizing cooperation between players to generate systemic change that benefits society as a whole, or within an organization.
This definition, which we at Axone Consultantperfectly illustrates the richness and complexity of this overused concept.
Contrary to popular belief, social innovation isn’t just a fad or a marketing label.
It represents a structured, rigorous approach to social transformation that is clearly distinct from, yet complementary to, CSR, SSE and traditional associative projects.
Its essence lies in its ability to mobilize a wide range of players around innovative solutions that are rooted in local and cultural contexts.
Why democratize social innovation?
Unfortunately, the concept of social innovation suffers from frequent misunderstandings. Less well-known and less valued than technological or service innovation, it struggles to find its rightful place in the entrepreneurial and institutional ecosystem.
This lack of understanding generates a number of problems:
– Lack of a common framework: each player works according to its own definitions,
– Difficulties in linking technical, social and institutional innovations,
– Weakly structured networks for spinning off and disseminating best practices,
– Conceptual and semantic simplification (social innovation is wrongly reduced to social projects),
– Under-utilization of available local expertise.
Democratizing social innovation means enabling all local players – associations, companies, local authorities and citizens – to appropriate its methods and tools to transform their practices and their territories in a sustainable way; but also to reflect on our actions and our ability to work together.
A personal and professional commitment
As Founder and Managing Director of Axone Consultant, my commitment to social innovation is rooted in a deep-seated conviction: that contemporary challenges (integration, sustainability, inclusion) call for new, collaborative and locally-rooted approaches.
A territory of excellence:
Réunion is one of the few outermost regions to have added two “S” to its S3 intelligent specialization strategy (social and sustainable).
The PUI Valiotech Réunion is the only PUI in France specializing in social innovation. These specific features make our territory a natural laboratory for social innovation.
A mature ecosystem: team sports, digital inclusion and cultural agility converge towards a collective and ethical vision of economic inclusion. Reunion’s ecosystem has what it takes to shine in this field, collaborate and export its expertise to other island territories and worldwide.
The need for structuring and strategic planning
Despite these assets, the lack of clarity and coordination between players is holding back the development of social innovation in the region.
This first day would not have been possible without the exceptional commitment of our partners and speakers.
La Réunion Innovation, as a legitimate network leader, contributed its expertise in S5 strategy and regional coordination.
PUI Valiotech provided its unique expertise in social innovation. Émergence OI and Run Fabrik enriched the discussions with their knowledge of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Human In contributed its expertise in relationship engineering.
The CR-CSUR contributed its knowledge of territorial economic development issues.
By hosting the event on its Saint-Pierre campus, ESIROI symbolically anchored the event in the world of training and research, reminding us that social innovation is nourished as much by theory as by practice.
Popularize to better appropriate
The aim of the day was threefold: to clarify, raise awareness and mobilize.
Nearly 150 participants – employees, company executives, training organizations, government departments, local authorities, associations and citizens – took part in this first edition, demonstrating the region’s appetite for these subjects.
The feedback speaks for itself: 87% of participants fulfilled the mission entrusted to them on their arrival, creating new “molecules of cooperation”.
The testimonials speak for themselves:
– “Thank you for this wonderful co-construction”,
– “Interesting discoveries, great encounters”,
– “I feel boosted”,
– “Vive la collaboration”.
This collective appropriation was precisely our aim: to enable local players to emerge with concrete tools, a shared vision and the desire to implement social innovation projects in their respective structures.
Towards an operational frame of reference
The day’s discussions highlighted several concrete avenues for structuring social innovation on La Réunion:
Clarify and disseminate an operational frame of reference with definitions, thresholds and typologies,
Institutionalize “spin-off workshops”: itinerant workshops, communities of practice,
Set up a regional observatory to capitalize on and advise project leaders,
Develop certification training courses to democratize social innovation tools.
This first edition is just the beginning.
It lays the foundations for a collective dynamic that we hope will grow and spread throughout Reunion and beyond.
To find out more:
Our partners (with our sincere thanks) :
– Réunion Innovation Innovation : leader in charge of leading the S5 on Reunion Island
– PUI Valiotech University Innovation Cluster specializing in social innovation
– Emergence OI and Run Fabrik : Entrepreneurial support and a collaborative innovation space
– Human In : Engineering and relational quality
– CR-CSUR : Territorial economic development
– ESIROI École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs Réunion Océan Indien
To discover the conclusions and perspectives of this 1st day: LinkedIn – Link Conclusions and outlook
Axone Consultant is committed to social, sustainable and inclusive innovation. We can help you become a committed player in your region.
