October 26, 2017: Regional Ecosystem Publication

EUROPEAN SOCIAL INNOVATIONS, ENTERPRISE, AND PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS edition: The European Social Innovation’s has been organised by European Commission in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos. The competition is calling on Europeans to come up with solutions to the problems affecting our society and is seeking to incentivise ideas and unearth newcomers, both individuals and organisations, that want to explore social innovation. European societies are transforming rapidly due to technological change. Trends such as digitalisation and automation are changing the way we live and work faster than ever before, reshaping the labour market and wider economy in fundamental ways. Digital / ICT-based businesses, the creative industries, high tech manufacturing, and knowledge- intensive services are creating increasing value for the economy, driving and taking advantage of technological progress. Low tech, labour-intensive manufacturing and routine jobs in the service sector are at high risk of disruption. A gap is growing between these two sides: people with the skills and opportunities to take advantage of technological progress and those who do not.

Rising income inequality reflects this gap; with increasing profits going to fewer beneficiaries, and being counterbalanced by wage stagnation or even decline, and job losses.