Regional social innovation - pinpointing socially inclusive change for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth in European regional development policy

Abstract

This article explores how social innovation on the regional, sub-national, level helps pinpoint socially inclusive change for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth in European regional development policy. The article presents and analyses new and unique data on regional social innovation from northern Sweden, where a participatory research approach was used to develop new theoretical and practical knowledge in cooperation between researchers and concerned societal actors. The study exposes that the studied examples pinpoint crucial elements by acknowledging the relevance of power-related dimensions such as gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, rurality etc. when distinguishing societal challenges, social needs and social improvements, the relevance of civil society engagement when developing new solutions, the importance of interaction across personal, organisational, sectoral and spatial boundaries and the importance of highlighting and challenging power-relations that ascribe higher status to a limited range of groups, organisations, sectors, perspectives and innovation forms.