Social innovation: a lever for actions in the territorial development

Abstract

In a context marked by a succession of health and political crises with very strong economic and social repercussions, the various local actors (entrepreneurs, civil society actors, public actors) find themselves confronted with complex situations and lasting repercussions on their economic and social life. Indeed, these crises reinforce the general interest in innovation. While technological innovation has long been the dominant concept, recent years have seen a shift towards a more social concept, linked to sustainable development and the anchoring of economic dynamism in territories (N. Richez-Battesti, 2011). However, research on social innovation remains little known and undervalued compared to work on technological innovation. The various local actors believe that social innovation can be seen as a lever for action and a different way of responding to social demand. Indeed, the main conclusion that can be drawn from a review of the systemic literature on the subject confirms the hypothesis that the contribution of social innovation to territorial development lies in the mobilization and participation of citizens in response to territorial vulnerability caused by the imbalance of the capitalist economic system. The aim of this paper is to clarify the concept of social innovation, to highlight its contribution to territorial development and to present some successful experiences in this field.

Keywords : social innovation, territorial development, social entrepreneur.

JEL Classification : O35

Paper type theoretical Research