Integration of social innovation actors in innovation ecosystems

人们普遍认为，高等教育机构（HEIs）应该超越其传统的教育和研究职能，也是促进，创造和维持应对多方面挑战的社会创新的关键行为体。社会创新在国际学术界的框架内获得了相关性，尽管人们认识到需要通过采用系统性解决方案，使整个欧洲的社会创新生态系统能够实现，涉及不同的参与者，机构和地方，涉及各种社会创新参与者（社会创新行为者/社会企业家、中小企业、初创企业、加速器和企业孵化器、投资者、行业、基金会、慈善协会、高等院校和研究与技术组织公有企业）。因此，创新关系始于参与的高等院校的明确承诺，即通过加强高等院校作为社会创新驱动力的作用来平衡第四个螺旋，但与第四个螺旋的其他利益攸关方共同建设。具体而言，已经确定了一种由两个不同（但互补）阶段组成的方法。在第一阶段，重点将放在创新行为体及其能力建设上，使他们能够更好地与社会企业家合作;在第二阶段，重点将放在社会创新行为体及其获得创新生态系统资源的机会上

It is widely acknowledged that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should go beyond their traditional education and research functions and also be key actors in promoting, creating and sustaining social innovation that responds to multifaceted challenges. Social innovation has gained relevance within the framework of academia at the international level, although is recognised the need to enable social innovation ecosystems across Europe through the adoption of systemic solutions, involving diverse actors, institutions, and places, involving all-kind of social innovation actors (social innovation actors/social entrepreneurs, SMEs, start-ups, accelerators and business incubators, investors, industry, foundations, philanthropy societies, HEIs and RTOs public-owned enterprises). Hence, Innovation Nexus starts from a clear commitment from the participating HEIs to balance the fourth helix by increasing the role of HEIs as drivers of social innovation, but in co-construction with other stakeholders from across the fourth helix. Specifically, a methodology consisting of two distinct (but complementary) phases has been defined. In the first phase, the focus will be on innovation actors and on building capacity among them, so that they become better equipped to work with social entrepreneurs; in the second phase, the focus will be on social innovation actors and on their access to the resources of innovation ecosystems