Social Innovation in Rural Areas

Use social innovation to improve conditions in disadvantaged rural areas

On this course, you’ll learn what social innovation is, how it can best be supported and where innovation efforts should be concentrated. You’ll specifically focus on the challenges facing rural areas.

You’ll be introduced to a range of approaches for actioning social innovation initiatives as you explore the role of communities and society in innovation development.

Using global case-studies, you’ll analyse new approaches proposed by 26 partners involved in the EU H2020 research project, SIMRA. You’ll explore the findings of the project, led by the project partners themselves.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 677622.

The course is designed for anyone interested in innovation in rural development.

This may include decision-makers, public, private and third sector development agents, evaluators, facilitators, technical advisors, researchers or students involved in social innovation projects in rural areas.

• Social Innovation and Its Characteristics
• Welcome to the course
• Social Innovation: An Introduction
• Characteristics of Social Innovation
• Challenges and Possibilities
• Social Innovation in Practice
• Good Practice and Adaptive Management in Social Innovation Practices
• Evaluation and Policy Application
• Evaluation of Social Innovation Initiatives
• Policy Needs and Existing Policies in Support of Social Innovation
• Conclusion of the Course