Socialchallenges.eu is an online marketplace where actual social challenges can meet innovative solutions. The platform receives financing from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme and is coordinated by META Group, holding INSME Vice Presidency.
The consortium has recently released an impact report analyzing the results of the platform and of the three calls for innovation solutions, which brings to light some relevant insights from challenge-based innovation in Europe with a special focus on social challenges.
Among the key conclusions, the report points out that:
- Almost 50 cities and regions in 18 countries posted 83 challenges, corresponding to a total of 500 solutions from 36 countries. Of these, 81 ideas were recognized with a grant and six months of mentoring to develop a prototype, and 27 will be launched with the challenge owner;
- Almost 80% of solution providers were SMEs, startups or solopreneurs;
- This kind of challenge-based platforms allow smaller cities to compete with larger ones in terms of attraction of startups and innovative solutions;
- Independently from their size, cities are available to punch above their weight only if they promote a local challenge;
- Solution providers tend to focus on local opportunities even though they are opened to go beyond national borders.
The relevance of the platform has also recognised by the European Programme for Integration and Migration that posted two challenges regarding integrating migrants into European society on the platform.
The platform is now self-sustainable and can be accessed via the META Innovation Platform.
To read the complete report, please click here.
This is only one of the successful initiative implemented by META Group, please click here to discover more about the Research Helicopter.
Source: META Group
