TRANSIT outputs include working papers, training tools, policy and practice briefs for social innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers. Do you have an idea you would like to share? You can contribute! Contact us via: Website: www.transitsocialinnovation.eu Facebook: www.facebook.com/transitsocialinnovation Twitter: @TransitSI For press and other communication matters: E: communication.transit@ihs.nl P: +31 (0)104089853 Project partners DRIFT (Coordinator), Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands 3S-group University of East Anglia, United Kingdom ICIS Maastricht University, the Netherlands IHS Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands ULB-CEDD Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium AAU Aalborg University, Denmark SPRU University of Sussex, United Kingdom IEC-UNQ Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina COPPE Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brasil People-Environment Research Group Universidade da Coruña, Spain BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Austria ESSRG Research and development SME, Hungary
TRANSIT (TRANsformative Social Innovation Theory) is an ambitious research project that will develop a theory of transformative social innovation which is about empowerment and change in society. You can contribute to it! This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement #613169
TRANSIT studies social innovations that are locally active and globally connected and aims to unravel how social innovation can support transformation. In-depth case e uctiv study analysis is carried out in 20+ (transnational) ded networks across Europe & Latin America. transition
research Examples of the types of theories on networks studied: power and The Impact Hub empowerment social areas of social Ashoka movement innovation Time Banks Credit Unions entrepreneurship social RIPESS social value psychology FABLABS Hackerspace DESIS-network Global Eco village Network Transition Towns INFORSE
5 apply theory
1 existing theories
middle-range theory of Transformative Social Innovation (TSI)
2 ground theory
in d
u c ti
ve
toolbox for social innovation retrospective and prospective TSI tools
3 test theory
4 adapt theory
meta-analysis and survey 200 local TSI cases in EU and Latin-America
in-depth case studies 20 transnational TSI networks in EU and Latin-America
Research question How does social innovation interact with other forms of (transformative) change and how are actors(dis)empowered therein?
What is social innovation? Social innovation is a new social practice, comprising new ideas, new models, new rules, new social relations, new services and/or new products. What is (dis)empowerment? (Dis)empowerment is a process in which people gain (or loose) the feeling that they can in�luence their surroundings and the direction of events.
This question is answered by looking at :
Origins, context & history: we want to understand the origins of the initiatives, their histories, their actors, how they contribute to the initiatives, and who they engage with at large. Framings, values and learning: we want to investigate the initiatives’ values and aspirations, goals and purposes, and also what their main activities, products and services are and how they relate to international networks. Process of formalisation and development: we want to understand how the actors involved in the networks have developed their initiative in time, whether they set rules, strategies and techniques or whether they developed a more open set up. Process of Innovation and broad change: we want to understand the initiatives members’ aspirations towards social & technological innovation, and speci�ically how they perceive that the initiatiative can contribute to system innovation.