The public sector should support social innovation, not seek to define it

Sweden is exploring how forms of social innovation can solve persistent social problems

In Sweden, the trend towards supporting more social entrepreneurs and greater social innovation has visibly gained pace during recent years. Due in part to a shift in public perception, this form of entrepreneurship with societal benefits is fast gaining recognition as an important constituent in the development of a sustainable society – in ecological, social and financial terms.

There has, of course, always been a presence of organisations with good purposes and enthusiasts with good hearts. But developments in information technology and the digitalisation of media have created new possibilities for these enthusiasts, at the same time as climate threats, global injustices and financial crises have created the urgent need for new, creative solutions.

A Swedish example when it comes to injustices in our society is for instance Hopeful Staffing, the world’s first agency for homeless people. Fighting climate threats is for instance Adopt a bee – Honey for free.Solvatten (translated; ”Sunwater”), is a business who has invented a household water treatment unit, which saves lives.

In Sweden, social entrepreneurship is generally understood as an entrepreneurship whose core activity not only generates income for its owner and employees, but also in a visible and preferably accountable way provides a positive impact on individuals and society: locally, regionally or globally. As a result of the financial and administrative support which enables the establishment of different networks for social innovations, several interesting arenas have arisen.

Most platforms of this kind serve the purpose of supporting research, knowledge and competence within the growing areas of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, often consisting of concrete, mutual projects and new sustainable models of business where innovative products and services are developed. Ideas-driven and ruled by principles, the social entrepreneur in Sweden focuses on activity which allows for the possibility of enlargement from local to global level — activity that changes structures in its foundation and re-invests profit. These entrepreneurs are found in ”new business” — within sustainable technology, within the ”new public service” for people who are excluded, with the ”new NGOs” — where business logic is used to enhance effectiveness and benefit the activity.

An interesting Danish example of new business, also with focus on global injustice, can be found in Baisikeli, who focuses on expanding cycling culture in both Denmark and developing countries. Klädoteket(translated; ”Clothetique”), is a business which works as a library for funny and unique clothes.

Currently, Sweden is considering the balance between governmental/municipal control and governmental/municipal support — a relationship that may be most evident in a blog that is driven by the government (the ministry of enterprise, energy and communications), in which both officials and guest bloggers have the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and opinions on ”the way to the new innovation strategy in Sweden”. The new innovation strategy has yet to arrive in Sweden, — this much is made clear in the blog — but what does this say about the current policy? Politicians and officials assign themselves the authority to create a strategy that clearly would be best developed by social entrepreneurs. Social innovation in its true sense is initiative taken by social entrepreneurs in order to address something in society they believe needs to be changed or improved.