National competence center for social innovation

Operations and tasks of the Competence center for social innovation

The competence center for social innovation operates in a network-like manner, carried out together with the competence center’s partners and key networks. The main objective is to promote the co-development, dissemination and implementation of societal innovations. The activities take into account the different sectors of society and the national promotion of innovation activities carried out in them.

We strengthen and share expertise

The Centre of Excellence for Societal Innovations increases knowledge about societal innovations and strengthens the innovation expertise of actors by implementing various workshops, clinics and events. We offer tools to support development and evaluation and forums for dialogue between innovation developers, financiers and other actors.

We collect and share information

We collect, validate and promote societal innovations and make their results and impact visible in different areas of administration. We operate as part of a network of European centres of excellence and develop sustainable cooperation and knowledge sharing at the EU level.

We communicate and influence

We promote the national strategy for social innovations and innovation policy that takes social innovations into account.

Actors

The Competence center for social innovation operates in a network-like manner and promotes innovation cooperation and dialogue between the public and private sectors, civil society, and the education and research sectors.

The actors of the Competence center for social innovations are:

National Institute for Health and Welfare
Diakonia University of Applied Sciences
Association of Local and Regional Authorities
Rehabilitation Foundation
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Silta-Valmennusyhdistys
SOSTE Finnish Social and Health Association

The Centre of Excellence collaborates with the Centre of Excellence for Social Enterprises (YYO).

International cooperation

The Finnish Competence Center is part of the International Network for Social Innovation Scaling and Systemic Transformation (INSISST) consortium together with centres of excellence from Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic. The main objectives of the EU-level cooperation are the exchange of knowledge and the international dissemination of innovations.

INSISST consortium

• Sociale Innovatie Fabriek, Belgium (coordinator)

• Rethink Ireland, Ireland

• Genio, Ireland

• Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic

• Akademiet for Social Innovation, Denmark

• Fundacja Stocznia, Poland

• Innokylä /National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland

Further information: International Network for Social Innovation Scaling and Systemic Transformation (INSISST) (socialinnovationplus.eu)

Events

The Competence Center for Social Innovation regularly organizes online clinics, webinars and events that promote innovation expertise and dialogue between actors. Events are in Finnish or in English.

English events

Webinar Series: Transformation through Social Innovation

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new webinar series, Transformation through Social Innovation, organized by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Tampere University. This series is part of the International Network for Social Innovation Scaling and Systemic Transformation (INSISST) and the Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) programme and is organised in cooperation with SOILA-coordination project (Social innovations in child welfare – coordination project).

Why Attend? This webinar series aims to deepen your understanding of how health and welfare systems can be transformed through social innovation. Each session will cover critical topics such as health and care ecosystems, the scalability of innovations, and more. Be inspired by successful examples and gain insights from short, analytical keynotes.

UPCOMING

Fifth Webinar: Mobilising the power of collective action for systems change

16th March 2026, 14:00-15:00 (CET), Teams / NOTE! 15:00-16:00 Finnish Time

Anne Vorre Hansen and Anders Folmer Buholt from the Danish Social Innovation Academy will present five rules of action for social innovation and discuss how mobilising the power of collective action can leverage the connection between to-down and bottom-up appriaches to systems change. With point of departure in their recent book "Mobilising the power of collective action", Anne and Anders will present their approach to social innovation in a Danish context through examples.

Speakers: Chief Analyst, PhD. Anne Vorre Hansen and Academy Director Anders Folmer Buholt, Akademiet for Social Innovation / Danish Social Innovation Academy

PAST

First Webinar: Tesoma Welfare Alliance Model

26th May, 14:00-15:00 (CET), Teams

Our inaugural webinar will feature the Tesoma Welfare Alliance Model, Tampere, Finland, a strategic commissioning model that emphasizes outcomes-based commissioning and service user value-creation. This session will be framed by a keynote on transformative ecosystems in health and care.
Speakers: Chief Specialist Tanja Koivumäki, Wellbeing Services County Pirkanmaa and Director, Adjunct Professor Sanna Tuurnas, Tampere University/THCS
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from leading experts and innovators in the field. Register now and be part of the transformation:
https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/Sosiaaliset_innovaatiot_tiena_muutokseen_0841/en

Second Webinar: Citizen science and local communities as a base for social innovation

16th June, 14:00-15:00 (CET), Teams

NEST European Innovation Alliance for Healthy Living proposes to establish and facilitate local social innovation ecosystems that nurture collaboration, co-learning and co-creation. The goal is to empower local communities and drive social innovation to promote healthy living.
This webinar will provide you
- introduction about how such a local ecosystem could look like and how to nurture it
- approaches of citizen science to support your ecosystem and social innovation goals
- opportunities to learn about the NEST Innovation Alliance’s approach
Speakers are Matthias Guett from SPIN, Germany and Dr. Paul Beenen from Hanze, Netherlands.
Webinar is organized in collaboration with Metropolia UAS.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from leading experts and innovators in the field. Register here now and be part of the transformation!
The Teams link to the event is HERE

Third Webinar: Working with systems change

27th October, 14:00-15:00 (CET), Teams

How can we move beyond individual projects or isolated solutions to question and transform the underlying structures, mindsets, and relationships that shape our systems?
Drawing inspiration from the Transition Design frameworks, this session explores how futures thinking, collective imagination, and regenerative practices can open new pathways for change.
Case Latvia: How senior government leaders work with systemic challenges - practical methods to understand systems, envision futures and design impactful interventions.

Speakers: Zeynep Falay von Flittner and Anni Leppänen, Falay Transition Design Collective

Fourth Webinar: Shaping the Future of Child Protection: Vision, Practice, and Lessons from the Pardubice Region

10th November, 14:00-15:00 (CET), Teams / NOTE! 15:00-16:00 Finnish Time

The vision of the Pardubice Region in the care of children at risk
Practical steps - how we work with social workers within the project
Successes and challenges

Speakers: Pavel Šotola - Deputy Governor of the Pardubice Region responsible for social care and non-profit sector, Czech Republic and Kateřina Netolická - project manager and change guide, Regional Office of the Pardubice Region, Czech Republic

Registration will be opening soon here.