Challenges and Barriers to Social Innovation at Spanish Universities

Abstract

Social innovation is relevant to meeting today’s grand challenges and the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals. In recent decades, European universities have undergone a process of strategic modernization aimed at enhancing the productivity and efficiency of public spending. As a result, a trend toward centralization has emerged, driven by an emphasis on payment-by-results. The evolving nature of societal engagement in universities has shifted toward financial considerations, which has led to an increased emphasis on public engagement, particularly in the business sector. However, this shift has also resulted in a relative decrease in the visibility and perceived value of other social activities. While this trend reflects a broader reevaluation of priorities within higher education institutions, it remains important for universities to continue to balance financial considerations with their social responsibilities. Furthermore, the connection with communities has changed over the years to include more university-community engagement and co-creation of solutions. How the university identifies, prioritizes, and engages with its community reflects its evolution. This paper tries to provide a more systematic understanding of university-community engagement in terms of the university’s contribution to society, using social innovation to address unmet social needs, finding sustainable solutions to complex social problems, and developing a social economy.