The New Social Silicon Valley

Social leaders have a long tradition of collaborative projects but a business park fully dedicated to third sector innovation has never been experienced in Europe. The Social Innovation Park (SI Park) will host in the Greater Bilbao area of Northern Spain consolidated third sector initiatives and emerging innovation projects aiming to create the new “Social Silicon Valley”. All of them will benefit from the new resources incorporated to this initiative: the Social Innovation Laboratory (G-Lab), the Social Innovation Academy and the Social Enterprise Generator. SI Park is a pioneering infrastructure promoted by DenokInn, the Basque Centre for Social and Corporate Innovation, which provides the best environment for third sector entities to cooperate, learn from each other and to build new shared enterprises.

The Basque region of Spain has a long tradition of a vibrant economy powered by a deep social approach. This is the homeland of Mondragon Cooperative Corporation and the Guggenheim Museum, promoted and funded by the local authorities. The Basque area has also demonstrated a successful history in terms of socio-economic regeneration. This is one of the few international cases which overcame the steel and shipbuilding crisis of the 80s, transforming itself into a new economy employing 100,000 workers around the globe. In addition, the Basque region is leading renewal energy enterprises by birthing transnationals corporations such as Gamesa and Iberdrola.

According to the UN Human Development Index parameters, the Basque region ranks as the world´s most socially balanced countries. SI Park will offer, therefore, a unique opportunity for international entities working in this field to be present in one of the most innovative environments connected to social enterprising.

Designed and nurtured for over a decade, the Social Innovation Park will start operations in June 2010. Initially, the Social Silicon Valley will cover 72,000 square metres located in Santurtzi, 25 km away from the Bilbao international airport. The master project has been supported by national and local authorities with an initial phase budget of 6 million Euro. Basque, Spanish and European institutions are also funding several initiatives related to the project that are already being implemented in the area. Long-term working relationships will be developed with a network of 1,000 professionals around the globe representing more than fifty national and international entities to be established at the Social Innovation Park.

Social Innovation Laboratory (G-Lab)

SI Park will host a laboratory for identifying emerging social tendencies (G-Lab) applying participatory democracy methodologies. G-Lab will evaluate current social services provided by the public administration to design and develop innovative testbeds.

SI Park will operate under an open innovation framework, with membership annually determining potential areas of laboratory research. As a priority, G-Lab´s research will be royalty-free to all institutions present in Bilbao and it will be associated to the leading international networks of social innovation laboratories.

Social Innovation Academy

SI Park will provide on-site and on-line training to bring fresh ideas to services provided by third sector institutions, organizations and enterprises. The Social Innovation Academy will offer a regularly-scheduled programs: Intensive Training for Third Sector Leaders, project-based education, and welcoming “spin off” training centres from the most successful entrepreneurial schools. The Social Innovation Academy will collaborate for this purpose with Euclid, the European Network of third sector leaders, and with the Social Innovation Exchange, the global alliance committed to growing the capacity of the field.

Social Enterprise Generator

Collaborating entities within the SI Park will be offered the opportunity to incubate new social enterprises and emerging tendencies identified by the G-lab will encourage SI Park membership to launch new projects.

With the purpose of providing the necessary support to new innovation entrepreneurs at SI Park, DenokInn has signed a collaboration agreement with the London School of Economics Enterprise. The new innovation entrepreneurs will be trained, mentored, and evaluated by SI Park staff, incorporating the know-how present in a privileged social environment. Finally, the Social Club of Angels will provide seed capital for new enterprises, guaranteeing a comprehensive approach to the innovation process.

SI Park will also host a pilot project led by DenokInn to generate social and cooperative enterprises under an innovative approach. Local institution will allow social income receptors to test new entrepreneurial initiatives without loosing their benefits. The DenokInn pilot will allow a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises to be located in the park, integrating related experiences successfully tested in Sweden and France.

New partners

DenokInn will design, conceptualize services and coordinate the international programmes established at the park. DenokInn´s strategic leadership is a timely call for foundations, charities, social enterprises, NGOs, social economy enterprises, cooperatives, financial community programmes, businesses offering social services and products, living labs, think-tanks, entrepreneurial schools, social innovation and third sector networks to explore the possibility of benefiting from SI Park.

We are living fascinating times. The whole social welfare system is reinventing itself with new paradigms. DenokInn offers a sustainable and equitable approach to the structure and management of social innovation ventures. SI Park offers a great opportunity to participate in advancing the process of social innovation from a totally new perspective. You are all welcomed.

Gorka Espiau is the International Programmes Senior Manager at DenokInn.

gespiau@denokinn.eu