SOCIAL INNOVATION AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Steliana Sandu, Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy
Irina Anghel, Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy


ABSTRACT: Along the last decade, the key role of social innovation in providing answers to
intricate and interdependent societal challenges has been an important issue in the literature, as
well as in the political discourse. At the EU level, various flagship initiatives within the Europe
2020 strategy integrate and emphasize its potential contribution to the overarching objective of
smart and inclusive growth. Yet, the literature on the impulse that social innovation may give to
economic growth and, more specific, to innovation performance is rather scarce. In this paper,
we attempt to look into the linkages between social innovation and economy, with emphasis on
the contribution social innovation may have to higher general innovation performance at
national level.

KEYWORDS: social innovation, social economy, social entrepreneurship, innovation performance,
closing the innovation gap

JEL CODES: 033, 035, 038