Adrian Healy

Healya2@cardiff.ac.uk

Economic Resilience:

the role of social innovation

• What makes economies resilient?

• Why do some places recover more quickly than others?

• Is it all about structures

• ..........................or are there choices involved?

• What role can local (or regional) governments play in making their economies more resilient

So what is social innovation?

• New ideas (products, services or models) that meet social needs

• New ideas developed through social relationships or collaborations

• can arise from us as individuals, from communities, from public bodies or from firms

Why is it on the agenda now?

• Search for new economic models

• Recognition that the market will not always deliver

• Scarce finance

• realisation of missed opportunities

• new communication technologies help

So, what does it offer?

• Can be a driver of economic growth (new or improved products or services)

• Can offer new or more efficient forms of service delivery

• Can address societal challenges (ageing society, low carbon transitions etc)

• Can be more locally responsive (address our particular challenges).

• Can support a more resilient economy (adaptive and responsive)

Examples?• Plenty out there....

• Llangattock Green Valleys Wales

• community body

• purchasing body

• knowledge dissemination

• awareness raising and advocate of behavioural change

• New (user driven) examples

• banking/credit

• health/care services

Opportunities for local areas

• economic growth

• new collaborations

• new products/processes

• opportunities for new enterprises (social)

• Resilience

• a more adaptive economy?

• A less dependent economy?

• A more robust economy?

Stages?• Prompts - potential needs

• Proposals - ideas

• Pilots/Prototypes - testing

• Scale

• Sustainability

• Systemic change

Supporting and stimulating social

innovation• role of companies

• role of public bodies

• role of community groups

• role of individuals

• Local spaces as a nurturing/stimulating environment

Thank YouHealya2@cardiff.ac.uk