Investigate the social innovation dynamics within Fabspaces
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
According to the European Commission, one of the biggest barriers to exploit the full potential of DSI (Digital Social Innovation) in Europe is the fairly low level of technological literacy, which hinders the capacity of citizens "to experiment with and develop new digital social innovations". Citizens' involvement would maximise the social impact of DSI and ensure "that services deployed answer to concrete unmet local needs and demand". Therefore, Fab-Spaces might be strategic players of DSI development and creators of social innovation opportunities in Europe. Consequently, the scope of this research is to develop an overview of the different innovation practices adopted by Fab-Spaces in the delivery of DSI and to better understand: A) how individuals/entrepreneurs can benefit from those environments in the development of their innovative social projects, and B) how Fab-Spaces can become an active source of DSI opportunities by actively involving their local community. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected by conducting questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and a focus group. By means of this research, I wish to help future Fab-Spaces to better support and manage DSI at a unit- and system-level. At the same time, I wish to expand the knowledge of a European digital social innovation network and its capacity to innovate and answer social challenges.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Letizia Mortara (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Valeria Dammicco (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2022 | |||
| 1935706 | Studentship | EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2020 | Valeria Dammicco |
| Description | This research initial findings have already generated great benefits to non-academic communities. The biggest beneficiary in this sense has so far been the Vulca Network (https://vulca.eu/contact/), a bottom-up community interested in Fab-Spaces in the EU from various perspectives (including practitioners, researchers and policy makers). The Vulca Network tries to support and enhance cross national cooperation in the EU by means of developing mobility programmes for inventors, creators and entrepreneurs across Fab-Spaces. I have been actively part of the Network since 2018, attending both their seminars and online meeting where suggestions are advanced on how to better structure the initiative at a European level. I have used my research expertise on entrepreneurship in Fab-Spaces to help the network understand and analyse the broader implications of their mobility program, especially with regards to entrepreneurship and innovation in the EU. This year, I have been asked to moderate a roundtable discussion on my PhD topic (entrepreneurship in Fab-Spaces) during the first day of the 2020 seminar (23rd April 2020). Aside from the Vulca Network, I have been organising talks with entrepreneurs I have met during my PhD journey and facilitated relevant connections across the various Fab-Spaces' communities I have been in touch with, sharing my research findings and reporting back on the best management practices I have observed as well as on the lessons learnt during the Vulca Seminars. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |