WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

CHALLENGES FOR FLANDERS

▸ by 2050

▸ almost 1/3 older then 65 years

▸ 3,2 million households (2,7 million in 2015)

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

FACTS & FIGURES 2015

▸ Unemployment rate: 7,93 (sept 2015)

▸ 23% is younger then 25y

▸ 26,1% is older then 50y

▸ 44% is low skilled

▸ 28,5% is longterm unemployed (>2y)

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

FACTS & FIGURES 2015 ▸ Employment rate: 71,9%

but 55 to 64y => only 44,3%

‣ Public budget for R&D

1.300 million euro in 2015

‣ only 18,7% of higher education is STEM

THE REAL CHALLENGE MATCHING ‘SUPPLY AND DEMAND’ ON THE LABOUR MARKET!

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

WHY (SOCIAL)

INNOVATION?

In the past the public sector was key player in innovation

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

CAN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? ▸ services?

▸ incentives?

▸ community building?

▸ …

IF I HAD ASKED PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANTED THEY WOULD HAVE SAID FASTER HORSES!

Henry Ford

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

HEALTHCARE

▸ Examples:

▸ Apps are changing our habits

▸ E-Health

▸ Information management

WHY (SOCIAL) INNOVATION MATTERS

THE ROLE OF/FOR ESF

▸ short term experiments

▸ connecting knowledge

▸ …

To discuss the next two days