It discussed how Structural Funds could be used to support innovation, but missed the opportunity to highlight grass-root partnerships, focusing on institutional examples. Key inputs included: Christian Bason, who highlighted the need to see social innovation as co-production engaging dynamically with local actors and partnerships, bringing together the bees and the trees: people on the ground with ideas (the bees) and the institutions (the trees). Whilst Marike Huysetruyt, highlighted the need to focus on the role of social enterprises and the need for rigorous evidence collection. However, the Commission focus continued to be primarily on institutional social experimentation – the trialing of new policies by Member States, through randomized control experiments as promoted by France (See Martin Hirsch). For further information contact Sian Jones sian.jones@eapn.eu or Amana Ferro amana.ferro@eapn.eu.
See presentations and agenda here: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=1022&eventsId=790&furtherEvents=yes
