As we enter a new decade, the Scottish public has expressed an appetite for innovation to be used for public good, prioritising social issues even if they don’t necessarily lead to economic gains.
Across Scotland there are high levels of public uncertainty about what the future might hold, but there is clear support for taking risks and experimenting to help tackle the major issues of the day – from improving public health to building an inclusive economy that works for everybody, with action on the causes of our climate emergency taking precedence.
However, this public support for new thinking and new ideas comes with the caveat that many people in Scotland currently feel excluded from the processes of social innovation. And many people feel that the benefits of innovation are not equally spread across Scotland’s geography and population.
These findings are a call to action for those of us in Scotland interested in social innovation, to think creatively and act differently about how we seek to address the major societal issues facing Scotland today. New methods to empower and engage people in the development and application of radical ideas must be embraced across sectors in Scotland.
The insight in this report should help to inform, encourage and support an agenda of ambitious, bold, cross-sector (and cross-party) thinking on new ways of working to address the complex social challenges of this new decade.
In Scotland, we have everything necessary to be a world leader in innovation for social good and there are many great examples of this already taking place across the country at every level. But we can and must do more if we are to proactively and meaningfully address the challenges of the next decade head-on and shape a fairer and more inclusive and empowered future for everyone.
