National Competence Center for social innovation

The National Competence Center for Social Innovation was established in 2024 with support from the European Union's Employment and Social Innovation Program (EaSI) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), through which the European Commission recognizes the importance of social innovation, and promotes inclusive and sustainable development in all member states.

The center was created due to the SEED - Social Innovation Ecosystem Development project, funded and developed between 2021 and 2023, to make four centers to promote social innovation in four different European countries (Italy, Greece, Romania, and Slovenia). Establishing this Italian national center are Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (UNIBO), EURICSE, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (FGB srl SB), Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino.
The center aims to support the national social innovation and social economy agenda by promoting innovative solutions to address social issues through sustainable and inclusive products, services, and business models. In particular, the center intends to:

• Disseminate knowledge and technical expertise on social innovation among public and private actors
• act as a reference point for the design of public policies, collaborating with central, regional, and local governments in the creation of innovative services and solutions according to the principles of shared administration
• create a bridge between Italy and other European centers of expertise for the exchange of experiences and innovative practices.

The University of Bologna contributes to the development and activities of the Center through a multidisciplinary and multidepartmental contribution, with the involvement of the Departments of Management, Architecture, Art, Economics, Sociology and Business Law, and Political and Social Sciences.

The Center's scientific contact person for the Department of Business Sciences is Prof. Giuseppe Torluccio.