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InNoWest TransferTalk: Social Innovations and the Role of Universities
The third and final InNoWest TransferTalk of the 2026 summer semester, which focused on social innovation and the role of universities, took place on the 1st of July 2026 and featured Daniel Krüger from the Centre for Social Research at the TU Dortmund as a guest speaker.
The term ‘social innovations’ is widely used and is usually defined in various ways. Edwards-Schachter and Wallace (2017) have identified over 250 definitions in the literature. At the start of his presentation, Daniel Krüger therefore focused on a conceptual classification and, drawing on Rüede and Lurtz (2012), distilled the various characteristics of the term down to the normative aspect of doing good for society and changing social practices or structures. He quoted the widely accepted definition by Howaldt and Schwarz (2010):
“A social innovation is an intentional, goal-oriented reconfiguration of social practices, initiated by specific actors or constellations of actors within specific fields of action or social contexts, with the aim of solve problems or meet needs more effectively than is possible on the basis of established practices.”
Daniel Krüger made it clear that academia, business, governments, Administration and civil society are all part of social innovation ecosystems, and that within these, all societal actors contribute to addressing societal challenges through social innovations. Such ecosystems were described as the totality of all framework conditions and influencing factors (Anion & Alperstedt 2021) – although it was expressly emphasised that these framework conditions are not necessarily conducive to social innovation. The classic ‘entrepreneurial university’ serves as an example of this, having long focused solely on technological and economically viable innovations. Nevertheless, social entrepreneurs can also be a driving force behind the emergence and dissemination of social innovations, according to Krüger.
Higher education institutions as actors in social innovation
Daniel Krüger then turned his attention to the specific activities of German universities in the field of social innovation. The Social Research Centre at TU Dortmund University is itself a well-known institution in this field of research, not least due to its various publications on the subject, and is a co-operator of the BMFTR’s SIGU platform for providing information and facilitating networking amongst stakeholders. However, a recent survey by Bauer et al. (2026) shows that only a third of universities in Germany report carrying out activities related to social innovation. It remained unclear whether this was because no further activities existed or whether it was due to a narrow definition of social innovation.
The advisor provided an overview of existing degree programmes, labs and observatories dedicated to this subject area at universities. He also highlighted the infrastructure that has already been established in Germany, as well as relevant stakeholders outside the higher education system – such as SEND e.V.(Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany) – who are helping to shape the field.
The keynote was followed by a lively discussion. The focus was on questions regarding the use of the term in practical projects and project proposals, and on the measurability of the impacts of social innovations. The discussion highlighted the considerable interest in translating the concept into practical terms for funding and other practical contexts.
The autumn programme for the InNoWest TransferTalk will be published here and on the FHP website in September 2026.
