The project has as its main focus the analysis of the concept of social innovation in relation to the European initiative REScoop 20-20-20.
The aim of the project is understand the process of social innovation, in particular what are drivers and the barriers and who are the actors involved in this process. The idea of social innovation that will emerge from the project is related to a process where innovation is conceived as solution to address social needs. To understand this process an analysis of social needs will be provided. In particular this project is focused on the analysis of environmental needs and how processes of social innovation can be a way to address these needs. Social innovation will also be understood as process where inclusion and active participation of citizens are conceived as fundamental drivers for the success of the process.
These are the reasons why, to understand the process of social innovation, among many cases the European initiative REScoop 20-20-20, has been chosen. In our opinion, the initiative has some characteristics to understand how a social innovation process, realized with the fundamental inclusion of citizens, can be a way to address environmental needs.
The initiative aims at merging all the cooperatives in Europe that deal with the production of renewable energies but most of all that are directly run by group of citizens. According to the definition provided on the initiative‘s website a REScoop is indeed ―a group of citizens that cooperate in the field of renewable energy, developing new production, selling renewable energy or providing services to new initiatives‖. The mission and the vision of the project arose from a felt need to find a sustainable alternative to the traditional energy market and from the idea that a common good, as energy, cannot be managed without the active participation of citizens