Appendix 3
Center for Social Innovation
Efficiency and Efficacy in Social Scientific Research
Our Vision
The Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) is a self-contained, politically
independent scientific institution, asserting leadership in Europe to advance
social innovation and foster an open and solidly united society.
Our Mission in Brief
The ZSI bridges knowledge generation and knowledge application processes by
socio-scientific research, education, advisory and networking services to reduce
the gap between social needs and potentials of the knowledge based information
society.
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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