International – Danish Social Innovation Academy

A path to global cohesion

Increased political polarization and a lack of social cohesion pose a significant risk to global security and stability.

Social innovation offers a unifying approach that strengthens cooperation, prevents division, and promotes joint solutions to complex problems. International actors such as the World Economic Forum, the EU, and the OECD are investing heavily in social innovation as the key to sustainable social change.

Since 2020, the Academy has been designated by the EU and the Danish Business Authority as Denmark's national center of excellence for social innovation and is part of the pan-European effort to spread and strengthen social innovation as a skill and approach.

The Academy's international role

The Academy is Denmark's national center of excellence and part of the joint European effort to strengthen cohesion and innovation through social innovation.

The Academy contributes to building international capacity for social innovation through partnerships, teaching, and knowledge sharing.

The Academy in the EU

Social innovation is now a significant area of focus for the EU, and established national competence centers in all member states. The competence centers are tasked with promoting social innovation, both as a practical approach and a mindset. In Denmark, the Academy is working to build a common ecosystem and lay the foundation for a national strategy for social innovation. From 2024 to 2027, the Academy will be part of a consortium with partners from Ireland, Belgium, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

The Academy at the UN

The Academy is part of the Future Coalition, which works for ambitious political implementation of the UN's "Declaration for Future Generations." Denmark has committed itself to the Declaration, which aims to ensure that the well-being of future generations is prioritized in politics and administration. The coalition works to create knowledge and a common language to ensure broad public support, independent of party politics.

The Academy in the North

While social innovation is not yet being used systematically in Denmark, our Nordic neighbors are further ahead in this development. Sweden has adopted a national strategy for social innovation, and in Finland, the Committee for the Future under the Parliament, the innovation fund SITRA, and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare play a central role in the work with social innovation. In Norway, the establishment of the Partnership for Radical Innovation – anchored in the Norwegian counterpart to the Local Government Association – has significantly strengthened efforts in this area. The Academy works closely with its Nordic sister organizations and actively contributes with presentations, teaching, and knowledge sharing across Scandinavia.

EU Social Innovation Match:

Should your project be an international showcase for social innovation?

Through the Academy, your organisation can organisation part of the EU's Social Innovation Match tool (SIM) platform.

SIM enables you to:
– Raise international awareness of your project and share it for inspiration
– Find new partners across Europe
– Explore social innovation projects in other EU countries
– Be matched with partners on transnational project calls in Europe

Read more about Social Innovation Match at European Social Fund Plus. As a national center of excellence, Danish Social Innovation Academy will validate Danish Social Innovation Academy project before it is uploaded and can also advise you during the process.

Case: Necto

Necto is a nonprofit organisation that works to improve mental health in small and medium-sized enterprises.

They do this by translating research and knowledge about mental health from various industries into concrete tools and methods that are adapted to everyday life.

Necto is supported by the Velliv Association, and all materials and tools are available free of charge.

Read more about the case on the ESF website

Case: Play

PLAY is a social initiative that specializes in preventive work with children and young people to help them integrate into normal social communities such as school, work, and civil society.

PLAY works with activity-based teaching methods, where motivation, challenges, and relationships are created through activities.

The child/young person or adult experiences success and finds fertile ground for a new self-narrative.

PLAY builds bridges to existing systems and contributes to rethinking the institutional frameworks surrounding children and young people.

Read more about Play as a case study on the ESF website.

Become a showcase for social innovation