Between associations and regimes of engagement: reflections on the concept of social innovation for public policy think of innovation

O objetivo deste trabalho é revisitar o conceito de inovação social e discutir suas implicações para políticas públicas de inovação. Os efeitos dessas políticas permitem questionar quais alternativas podem ser mais eficazes no direcionamento da inovação para a solução de problemas econômicos e sociais que pode contrastar com concepções sistêmicas de inovação. É neste ponto que o conceito de inovação social pode tanto constituir base da crítica de políticas de inovação como apontar elementos para seu avanço. Com base em análise documental e revisão da literatura, analisamos o quadro de políticas de C&T&I no Brasil, ao longo do Governo Lula, apontando a necessidade de um conceito de inovação social que articule demandas sociais e econômicas. Contemplamos aspectos organizacionais, normativos e associativos que justifiquem o impulso às inovações sociais, assim como os regimes de engajamento de atores sociais na configuração de experiências socialmente inovativas.This article revisits the concept of social innovation and problemizes its implications for the innovation policy. The effects from these policies allow us to argue which alternatives would have more efficacy then others in leading innovation to solve both economic and social problems, in contrast to the innovation that follows some systemic conception of innovation. At this point, the concept of social innovation would form a critical base which would shape a critical national innovation policy and highligh elements for its permanent shift. Using multiple research techniques such as documental analysis and literature review, this study analizes the S TI Brazilian policy framework in the President “Lula” terms, indicating a new approach to social innovation to articulate social and economic demands. It contemplates organizational, normative and associative aspects that justify investments in social innovations, as well as regimes of engagement by social actors in the configuration of socially innovative experiences.the concept of social innovation would form a critical base which would shape acritical national innovation policy and highligh elements for its permanent shift.Using multiple research techniques such as documental analysis and literaturereview, this study analizes the S TI Brazilian policy framework in the President“Lula” terms, indicating a new approach to social innovation to articulatesocial and economic demands. It contemplates organizational, normative andassociative aspects that justify investments in social innovations, as well asregimes of engagement by social actors in the configuration of socially innovativeexperiences