Abstract
New digital solutions are often lacking integration and acceptance by potential users. Therefore, only a small amount of innovative software solutions is really in use. The article describes a co-creation process by integrating end-users and relevant stakeholders right in the beginning in a social innovation process. Within this process, technology is seen as an enabler of innovation getting its relevance from new social practices of the people using it (e.g. working practices). Against the background of EU funded projects conducted by the authors (GT-VET, GREEN STAR, COCOP, and ROBOHARSH) the relevance of mutual learning processes of engineers / researchers / trainers on the one side and end-users / beneficiaries / learners on the other side will become evident. Moreover, new (digital and analogue) skills of employees have been identified as key for a successful digital transformation. Thereby, this article shows a twofold perspective on social innovation in education: new skills demands for employees and mutual learning processes of developers and users/stakeholders. To obtain needed skills, traditional innovation practices have to be changed by setting up a social innovation process. Such a process design has to include stakeholder and user involvement beyond pure feedback on a new technology. Co-creation means that experience, knowledge and ideas of users will be considered to ensure high usability and impact of the new technology framed by organisational and people related measures. In this respect, the innovation process and the innovation itself is much more than technological functionality–it is a contribution to new social practices and performances of the people that innovate and use the technology.
Highlights
A New Innovation Paradigm Combining Technological and Social InnovationInnovation in technological contexts needs a social component, such as social innovation
A literature review on social innovation recognized that social innovation can be identified through new institutions, new social relations, new processes or organisational processes, or new networks of institutions that pursue to provide better solutions (Maldonado-Mariscal, 2017:39)
As introduced in this article, social innovation can be identified through new institutions, new social relations, new processes or organisational processes, or new networks of institutions that pursue to provide better solutions than the ones before (Maldonado-Mariscal, 2017:39)
Summary
A New Innovation Paradigm Combining Technological and Social InnovationInnovation in technological contexts needs a social component, such as social innovation. Because digital transformation is leading to high demands on the provision of the right skills for future working practices. There is an increasing need to align the demand side (companies, individuals) and the supply side of skills (vocational education and training (VET), training providers) in shorter time. To solve this problem in a sustainable way a coherent approach is needed, engaging relevant actors and stakeholders from all societal sectors: companies, employers’. Co-creation and comprehensive processing have to put this challenge further on an overarching level integrating relevant actors from different societal sectors (quadruple helix or social innovation ecosystem of companies, education and training providers, policy, and research and innovation).
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