TRANSIT (TRANsformative Social Innovation Theory) is an ambitious research project that will develop a theory of transformative

social innovation which is about empowerment and change in society. You can contribute to it!

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement #613169

Project partners

DRIFT (Coordinator), Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands 3S-group University of East Anglia, United KingdomICIS Maastricht University, the NetherlandsIHS Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the NetherlandsULB-CEDD Université Libre de Bruxelles, BelgiumAAU Aalborg University, DenmarkSPRU University of Sussex, United KingdomIEC-UNQ Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, ArgentinaCOPPE Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brasil People-Environment Research Group Universidade da Coruña, SpainBOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, AustriaESSRG Research and development SME, Hungary

TRANSIT outputs include working papers, training tools, policy and practice briefs for social innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers.

Do you have an idea you would like to share? You can contribute!

Contact us via:Website: www.transitsocialinnovation.euFacebook: www.facebook.com/transitsocialinnovationTwitter: @TransitSI

For press and other communication matters:E: communication.transit@ihs.nlP: +31 (0)104089853

TRANSIT studies social innovations that are locally active and globally connected and aims to unravel how social innovation can support transformation. In-depth case study analysis is carried out in 20+ (transnational) networks across Europe & Latin America.

Examples of the types of networks studied:The Impact HubAshokaTime BanksCredit UnionsRIPESSFABLABSHackerspaceDESIS-networkGlobal Eco village NetworkTransition TownsINFORSE

Research question

How does social innovation interact with other forms of (transformative) change and how are actors(dis)empowered therein?

This question is answered by looking at :

Origins, context & history: we want to understand the origins of the initiatives, their histories, their actors,

how they contribute to the initiatives, and who they engage with at large.

Framings, values and learning: we want to investigate the initiatives’ values and aspirations, goals and purposes, and

also what their main activities, products and services areand how they relate to international networks.

Process of formalisation and development: we want to understand how the actors involved in the networks have developed

their initiative in time, whether they set rules, strategies and techniques or whether they developed a more open set up.

Process of Innovation and broad change: we want to understand the initiatives members’

aspirations towards social & technological innovation, and speci�ically how they perceive that the initiatiative

can contribute to system innovation.

What is social innovation?Social innovation is a new social

practice, comprising new ideas, new models, new rules, new social

relations, new services and/or new products.

What is (dis)empowerment? (Dis)empowerment is a process in which people gain (or loose) the

feeling that they can in�luence their surroundings

and the direction of events.

meta-analysis and survey

200 local TSI cases in EU and Latin-America

middle-range theory of

Transformative Social Innovation

(TSI)

5 apply theory

toolbox for social innovationretrospective and

prospective TSI tools

4 adapt theory

2 ground theory

1 existing theories

in-depth case studies

20 transnational TSI networks

in EU and Latin-America

transition research

theories on power and

empowermentareas of social

innovationsocial

movement

entrepre-neurship

social psychology

social value

3test

theory

deductive

inductive