Developing Social Innovation Digital Ecosystems (SIDE): Recommendations for Practitioners and Policymakers

This policy brief results from a research project on Social Innovation Digital Ecosystems (SIDE)
developed at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities at the University Alliance Ruhr
(UA Ruhr) from March to August 2024. The project aimed to unveil the potential of Social
Innovation Digital Ecosystems (SIDE) in the digital era. A SIDE is not just a platform but a
dynamic community of actors united by a common goal to develop social innovations that
address society’s challenges through a collaborative, inclusive, and open process.

Our recommendations result from sixteen interviews with researchers and social innovators, a
workshop with participants from Europe and Latin America, and discussions with researchers
at scientific conferences. Social innovation digital ecosystems are still an emerging
phenomenon, but experts and practitioners agree that SIDE can help develop and escalate
social innovations. Their development can support and ease the work of citizens, civil society
organizations, universities, and private companies engaged in social innovation initiatives.