Digital social innovation

Harnessing the power of people and technology

to tackle social challenges
Matt Stokes, Researcher, Nesta
@nesta_uk | @DSI4EU | @SICommunity_EU
matt.stokes@nesta.org.uk
Hello!
About Nesta
We are an innovation foundation.
We back new ideas to tackle the
big challenges of our time.
Research and Programmes and
analysis funding

Skills and Investments

capacity
What is digital social
innovation (DSI)?
Digital social
innovation helps us
tackle big social
challenges by
involving and
empowering people
digitalsocial.eu
@DSI4EU
bit.ly/DSINext
What next for digital social innovation? Key findings

FUNDING: More funding needed for DSI, focusing on social challenges,

intermediaries, and tech as a means not an end
NETWORKS: DSI and other stakeholders are relatively disconnected,
leading to duplication and inefficiency
MAINSTREAM ADOPTION: The public sector and civil society must
embrace and adopt DSI if we are to deliver social impact at scale
GROWING A DSI INITIATIVE: Practitioners struggle with engagement,
growth and sustainability
IMPACT: We arent measuring the impact of DSI well enough, including
whether its inclusive
What does DSI look like?
Democracy
Neighbourhood maintenance

Icon: Juan Pablo Bravo | Noun Project

Environment
Mobility
Finance
Meanwhile
Its not all cutting-edge
technology!
Its not all cutting-edge
technology!
We need to support the
whole spectrum of DSI.
Because if digital social
innovation isnt inclusive,
it isnt digital social
innovation.
To go back to our
examples
And we need to reach
beyond the digital world
 siceurope.eu
@SICommunity_EU
What would we like
to see?
1. Funders: Support the whole DSI spectrum!

2. Digital social innovators: Inclusion isnt an

optional extra!

3. All Digital: Lets talk more!

Thank you!
www.digitalsocial.eu
www.siceurope.eu
matt.stokes@nesta.org.uk