On August 17, 2020, we submitted the last of six semi-annual reports we have submitted over the past three years as part of the “Social(i)Makres” project. This prompts us to briefly summarize – are you ready for a little retrospective? In the spring of 2017, we received an invitation from an international partnership to join a project focused on building competencies for the implementation and development of social innovations in Central Europe. We accepted with enthusiasm! We completed the formal procedures and officially launched as a partner of the “Social(i)Makers” project on August 1st. We were number PP7 in the working nomenclature, and this number seven brought us great luck.
What happened during the project’s three-year duration?
We were among 13 partners from seven Central European countries, given the opportunity to implement activities in Poland and participate in international events. Locally, we joined forces with our national partner, the Regional Social Policy Center in Poznań. We will always remember this collaboration fondly! Together, we organized a series of training sessions as part of the “Social Innovation Academy” educational program, with over 400 participants (an online course and webinars were also available). Together with the Network of Entrepreneurial Women, we organized an Ethical Fashion Hackathon, seeking social innovations that could address the challenges facing the fashion industry. During the “DO BUSINESS, MAKE IMPACT” conference, we presented design tools that support social impact companies in creating innovative solutions, including the Skyrocket Platform and the “Social Innovation Academy.” We explored various methods for supporting the innovator community, so as part of the Festival, we organized workshops using the “applied drama” method to stimulate creativity, and we also utilized the Social Innovation Maturity Scale – a tool for assessing the development stage of a given innovation. We also listened to experts by inviting them to a panel discussion and a series of focus groups, asking about the prospects for the development of social innovation in Poland and Europe. Mirella Panek-Owsiańska provided substantive support throughout the project. From the outset, the project’s strength was communication – our calendar included a “SiM call” every two weeks, and we met in person every six months: in Modena, Berlin, Maribor, Budapest, Spišský Hrhov, and Poznań. However, recent months brought unexpected changes caused by Covid-19, forcing the partnership to reorganize its activities under the #staysafe banner. Instead of meetings in Brussels and Vienna, a series of online workshops took place, bringing together partners, experts in the field of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and various stakeholder groups.
The project’s greatest focus was the implementation and development of the Skyrocket online platform. Working as an interdisciplinary team, we embraced the world of IT. Skyrocket launched in 2019, and that’s when we launched the first “Be Social, Be Maker” challenge, seeking innovative educational methods utilizing the Social Innovation Academy resource. For those unfamiliar with the Platform, it’s a place dedicated to creators of social innovations and public and commercial entities seeking innovative solutions. Want to know more? Visit www.skyrocketplatform.eu and read our “example use cases.”
How can I briefly summarize the past three years?
We’ve gained enormous capital in the form of experience collaborating in an international environment, knowledge, and tools to implement further large-scale projects. It was challenging at times, and the number of questions often exceeded what we knew for sure, but today we look back on it with a smile, because the most important thing this project has shown us is the strength of our team! The work put into creating the Platform is paying off, as Skyrocket will now be used and developed in the CERUSI project, to which we were invited. BUT NOT ONLY! For several months now, we’ve been continuing discussions with a German organization that also took notice of our Platform. As a result, the Foundation has strengthened its position as an important, reliable, and professional partner – also in international collaboration, something we’re proud of.
Meanwhile, new projects and new challenges lie ahead. #StayTuned
Want to learn more about the “Social(i)Makres” project partnership? Here is a list of the organizations we have collaborated with:
Democenter-Sipe Foundation (project leader) https://www.democentersipe.it/
Union of Municipalities of the Ceramic District https://www.distrettoceramico.mo.it/
Roots of Impact GmbH http://www.roots-of-impact.org/
Social Impact GmbH https://socialimpact.eu/
ZSI GmbH – Centre for Social Innovation https://www.zsi.at/
Pontis Foundation https://www.nadaciapontis.sk/en/
“Siódemka” is us – Cooperation Fund Foundation www.cofund.org.pl
Regional Centre of Social Policy in Poznań http://rops.poznan.pl/
IFKA Public Benefit Non-Profit Ltd. For the Development of the Industry https://ifka.hu/
Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry https://www.bkik.hu/hu/
Economic Institute Maribor, Economic Research and Entrepreneurship Ltd.
Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia https://skupnostobcin.si/
arbeit plus – Social Integration Enterprises Austria https://arbeitplus.at/
