Social Innovation Research and Innovation Studies

For historical and sociological reasons innovation studies (IS) and social innovation (SI) research have evolved in isolation, although both strands of literature analyse goal-oriented change processes that are likely to have major economic and societal impacts. Hence, it is imperative to cross the borders between these two fields of research. To foster mutual learning among IS and SI scholars to better understand innovations, this chapter considers the key notions and approaches used in these two strands of literature: the principal purpose of the change processes analysed, the typical main actors; the subject and levels of change; the sources and types of knowledge (co-)produced, utilised, and diffused; as well as how success and impacts of innovations are defined and measured.