lux presidencyAt the “Boosting Social Enterprises in Europe” conference held on 3 December 2015, a panel of experts focused on the issue of understanding how social innovation, the development and implementation of new ideas to meet social needs, can be created. The conference was organised as part of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU. The experts, including secretary general of Eurodiaconia Heather Roy, also discussed the way in which social innovation could be systematically integrated into the launch and development of economic activities.

As to defining social innovation, Heather Roy explained that social innovation is not an end in itself, but a process aimed at “producing desirable and socially necessary outcomes”. “It involves pinpointing social means, then identifying how to achieve the given aim through social processes”, she explained.

To read the entire report of this conference, please click here.