The social innovations are new, responsible and sustainable concepts resulting from inner motivation of stakeholders in order to fulfill the social needs in support of high quality of life.
Most of the EU countries, including Slovenia, are facing rapid and even greater changes than ever before in its history. By the 2035, Slovenia will become the 4th oldest country with the most pronounced ageing population in the EU. Due to the decline in number of working-age population and the growing number of elderly population, we will not only have to seek the solutions for the well-being of the elderly, but also drastically increase added value per employee. The use of Internet and social media will approach the entire population, leading to changes concerning tertiary needs of the population and its associated ways of spending free time and consumption.
The social innovation as an engine of development can lead to many benefits for the society. The essence of responsible social innovation is to serve the society and assure the quality of life.
The topics that are particularly suitable for social innovation respond to the current needs of the society, space and time, e.g.: reduce the problem of unemployment, poverty and social inequalities, change mentality and values in the society, population ageing, deterioration of human health and environment, reduction of welfare, exploitation and use of available natural resources, strive for a fair and ethical society, etc. In such cases it makes sense to search for innovative solutions and co-creation with the following stakeholders: individuals, companies, NGOs, local communities, public sector, educational institutions and the media.