Why should we be excited about Digital Social Innovation? I missed the first panel session, but here’s the NESTA report with Key Findings and Policy Recommendations and the whole event can be replayed here or by clicking on the pic.
The current state and future of Digital Social Innovation in Europe – which was most remarkable and way leading:
- the EU Commission with traditional funding models that keep the funders amused and busy but seems to only perpetuate what is already happening;
- the only female Anna Sienicka representing TechSoup;
- the amazing Tomas Diez representing the Fab Foundation Europe and the Fab City Research Lab;
- Mark Cridge who represented MySociety with the remarkable tools they invented since 15 years ago: WriteToThem and FixMyStreet
- Sander van der Walk from the Open Knowledge Foundation.
Digital Social Innovation in the City presented
- Barcelona – open for whistleblowers on corruption in Public Services;
- public procurement reform process
- investment for public returns – rather than borrowing or subsidising
- Milano – with crowdfunding for social projects;
- Amsterdam – where people can start their own energy company in 2 hours.
The change-over from industrial centralisation to digital individualisation is happening at many different levels, and people understand it – each in their own way:
- companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter who do not commit to the “social contract” have their antidote in Juan Benet’s InterPlanetary File System – to make the web non-controllable – as the most important infrastructure;
- as a minimum, Digital Social Innovation for Europe is an indicator for current conversations and actions;
- at its best, Fab Labs are making a profound difference;
- on a corporate level, #dataenlightenment and #datademocratization are part of the conversation.
