Co-operation as Social Process

The Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) is a multifunctional socio-scientific research institute, providing an interface across scientific disciplines and sectors, aspiring highest quality of the nexus between research and utilisation of knowledge. Thus many ZSI-projects reveal features of trans-disciplinarity.

Success of the ZSI in competiting for research funds and tenders rests on three pillars:

• Independence from dominant contractors, secured by targeted development of flexible domains of competence
• Diversity of services provided and concomitant extension of international operations
• Creation and upgrading of co-operation networks to ensure long-term options for evolvement

However, we consider intensive and strategic collaboration - within the ZSI, together with partner organisations, stakeholders and users of our services - not merely as prerequisite to acquire advantages compared to competitors. Ultimately, our way of doing so should advance the role of co-operation pertaining social development opposite to the fetish of competition, allegidly ruling anything.

Focus on Social Innovation

Social innovation is based on proposals on how to meet social challenges. To become innovative, an idea which addresses existing or newly emerging social issues must not only be new. Moreover, methods and measures require to meet expectations of stakeholders involved. Their needs are to be dealt with in a more appropriate way than by other concepts (existing services, products, or procedures - including ignorance of demands). If in such a process a social idea evolves into a social innovation, it first of all helps to improve remedy to challenges in the society which may be new, did not yet receive adequate treatment, or perhaps not even any response. Beyond dealing with a concrete social issue, social innovations in general contribute to adaptations and further development of many forms of governance.

As globalisation progresses, social innovations gain relevance to almost any area of contemporary society: Supported by socio-scientific analysis, the design and practical application of social innovations not only affect the shaping and trends in the sector of NPOs and the civil society. Public administration, political institutions, the business sector and institutions of social partnership benefit from social innovations as well.

By its capacities the ZSI is conducive to socio-economic objectives we share with other public and private organisations across Europe:

• To advance social, ecological and economic sustainability of the knowledge-based information society
• To facilitate social, cultural and economic integration in Europe by means of scientific competence and support of relevant practices
• To develop infrastructures, effectiveness and internationalisation of the social sciences in the European Research Area (ERA)

Our projects top priority is to provide impulses for the implementation of applicable innovative resolutions, concerned with socially important challenges. Our projects are rooted in sound scientific fundaments based upon inter-discipinary and international co-operation.

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