Dialog for Innovation And LOcal Growth
The present condition to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of innovation policies funded by the ERDF operative programme is creating a real social consensus around these policies. Policies have to be enhanced through more widespread bottom-up participation. Among the main actors of European Structural Funds policies for innovative local development (public administrations, knowledge-production centers, businesses and citizens) particularly limited has been up to now the engagement of citizens. On the contrary, as final receivers, they should have a relevant place (voice) in order to assure the social acceptation of the investment. In most experiences, they objectively remained at the edge of decision and implementation processes. Conversely, innovation policies based on new technological vision and intended to produce added value, need to reach a social and economic commonly shared and supported acceptance by all the stakeholders, citizens included. Moreover, being social welfare (and not only the success of investment projects) the public administrations' mission, an increased involvement and dialogue with social partners is desirable as a tool for improving local social capital. DIALOG project has a main aim which is to improve the effectiveness of innovative policies for regional competitiveness through the creation of a networking, negotiation and exchange model that can involve all the local stakeholders, not only in the design but also in all the stages of local policy implementations. Through identification, modelling and circulation among DIALOG partners of best practices in the field of social innovation focused on increasing the participation of all the stakeholders, the project will define action plans aimed at strengthening the role, skills and participation capacity of the social partners and citizens in the definition and implementation of the innovation ERDF investments.