#05 VERN-Zagreb, Training-SinnoLABs Managers, 13-15 Nov 2017

Meeting Objective

Agenda

Day 1 - 13/11/2017 – Monday


09:30-10:00   Welcome – Registration
10:00-11:00   Opening: Welcome to VERN’ University - Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship at VERN’

  • Introduction to the training program for managers
  • Introduction to the 1st Module (Creativity, Communication, Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship)
  • House rules and guidance

11:00-11:15   Coffee break
11:15-13:15   Session 1

  • Introduction of Participants
  • Introductory presentations: Types of entrepreneurship; Creativity and out-of-the-box-thinking- processes related to innovation, ideation, inspiration, The role of innovation labs/hubs. Global Entrepreneurship Week

13:15-13:30   Presentation of catering venture Taste of Home (social cooperative founded and run by refugees: case study)
13:30-14:30   Lunch (paid from institutional per diem)
14:30:16:00   Presentations and workshop:

  • Spectrum of activities between social activity and social entrepreneurship – exploring aspects such as social action to philanthropy
  • Presentation of results of questionnaire
  • Work in small groups:
    Definition of Social entrepreneurship and social innovations
    Presentation of good practice examples from participants’ countries and communities

16:00-16:15   Short break
16:15-17:00   Wrap-up

Day 2 - 14/11/2017 – Tuesday


09:00-09:30   Registration - Coffee/tea; review and reflections of yesterday’s program
09:30-11:00   Session 2

Presentation and workshop:

  • Social innovation models for business performance and innovation
  • Defining problems (problem tree technique)
  • Defining solutions (after proper definition of problems)
  • Design thinking methodology in practice

11:00-11:15   Coffee Break
11:15-13:15   Guest-speaker: Enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and social innovations.
Co-creation of novel services and networks through multi-agent framework (integration of social components into existing projects)
Multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary communication and cooperation (Triple/Quadruple/Quintuple Helix). Participation in a public debate on the respective draft law(s)
Sustainability of social enterprises and assistance from social innovation labs
Other topics
13:30-14:30   Lunch (paid from institutional per diem)
15:00:16:30   Site visit to IMPACT HUB ZAGREB, Vlaška street 70E, Zagreb
Presentation and discussion with managers of innovation hub: Management of (social) innovation hubs
The story about IMPACT HUB (beginnings, programs, plans, etc.). Problems, obstacles and solutions in launching and developing social innovation hub. Activities aimed to identify stakeholders and partners. Cooperation with academic sector. Various scenarios for development of hubs. Understanding "early warning signals”. Networking, global cooperation exchange of resources, ideas, experiences, etc. Q&A

Day 3 - 15/11/2017 – Wednesday

09:00-09:30   Registration - Coffee/tea; review and reflections of yesterday’s program
09:30-11:00   Session 3

  • Round table and discussion: Presentation of experiences of VERN’ students and partners in various social innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives
  • Participation in social innovation/social entrepreneurship projects (e.g. HULT Prize, Social Impact Award, Ethical bank, Crowdfunding Academy for social entrepreneurs, etc.,)
  • Learning from mistakes
  • Building a network and sharing resources
  • Experiences in starting, managing and developing innovative labs/hubs
  • Best quality service for "tenants" at reasonable costs,  Motivation of stakeholders, cooperation
  • Marketing of social innovation labs
  • Other topics

11:00-11:15   Coffee Break
11:15-13:00   Drafting Individual and group action plans Additional topics of interest, Wrap up - summarizing experiences from the Module 1, Plans for the module 2
13:00-13:30   Presentation of personal social innovation experience
               13:30   Greetings from Israeli ambassador, Greetings from Indian ambassador
13:30-14:30   Lunch - (paid from institutional per diem)
               14:30   End of Day 3
14:30-19:00   CONSORTIUM MANAGEMENT MEETING

Summary

On November 13-15, 2017, as part of the International Erasmus+ Project SILICE (Social Innovation for Local Indian and Israeli Communities and Graduate Entrepreneurs), the University of Applied Sciences VERN'(Zagreb, Croata) organized the first training module for future social and innovation lab managers (SinnoLab managers): Creativity, Communication, Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. This training and meeting was also a part of VERN’s contribution to the Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 3-19, 2017). 

The program was organized and delivered by Mrs. Gordana Ćorić, senior teacher at VERN’ University, and two experts from the University of Edinburgh Business School (Prof. Sarah Cooper and Prof. Richard T Harrison), and several guests (whose names will be mentioned in the report).

The meeting has offered the opportunity for mutual introduction of participants, giving an overview of the program for SinnoLab managers within the entire SILICE program, presentation of program of the 1st module and VERN’s experience in developing elective courses (1) Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation and (2) Design Thinking for Business Innovation in cooperation with civil society organizations and business sector, and introducing it in the curriculum.

The participants were invited to share their expectations from the entire SILICE program, training for SinnoLab managers, topics of interest and their understanding of the concepts of social entrepreneurship and social innovation, which was illustrated by the best examples of social innovations from their respective countries. In order to present such an example in Croatia, Ms. Zinka Mujkić (manager of recently awarded social cooperative Taste of Home), presented a story of this catering venture founded and run by refugeesin Croatia. SinnoLab managers had an opportunity to taste the excellent food prepared for them by Taste of Home catering service.

The program included the following topics: the pyramid of learning, an integrative approach to understand entrepreneurial behavior (entrepreneurs motivated by opportunity and by necessity, activities between social activity and social entrepreneurship); creativity and out-of-the-box-thinking (processes related to innovation, ideation, inspiration); the role of innovation labs/hubs; creative techniques (i.e. visualization, problem tree technique, „burning potato”, Business Model Canvas, Social Business Model Canvas, Design Thinking, etc.). Participants were involved in several exercises in order to use these techniques (How can we improve recycling habits at home?; Questions to keep in mind whilst designing short pitch, Design Thinking & Strategy - Good Kitchen Case Study, etc).

The insight into enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and co creation of services and networks through multi-agent framework was provided by Ms. Sonja Vuković, SLAP/CEDRA/Panona, who shared her experience as social entrepreneur, mentor, consultant for social entrepreneurship, founder of network of social entrepreneurship consultants, co-creator of the national social entrepreneurship strategy in Croatia, advisor to other social entrepreneurship initiatives, teacher of social entrepreneurship, etc.

Further, the participants have enjoyed the opportunity to visit the IMPACT HUB ZAGREB, member of the global network of social innovation impact hubs, and learn about various scenarios for development and management of sustainable social innovation hubs from Mr. Hermes Arriaga (director and co-founder) and Mrs. Ana Raguž (program manager and co-founder). They were open to discuss the issues related to problems, obstacles and solutions in launching and developing social innovation hub, and review the activities with groups of stakeholders/partners, the cooperation with academic sector, and global cooperation through exchange of resources, ideas, experiences. After this site visit and discussion about Issues of concern to Israeli and Indian future lab managers, the ideas of what kind of assistance may be offered through future social innovation labs, and what kind of interdisciplinary communication and cooperation is desirable, were much clearer.

The last day of the program, at the panel discussion on entrepreneurial experience in the field of launching social-entrepreneurial projects, representatives of Croatian social labs and social entrepreneurs shared their valuable experience with SinnoLab managers. The panelists Ms. Stella Kalac (Social Innovation Laboratory SIL), VERN' Alumni Ms. Marina Petrović (Green Energy Cooperative), Ms. Sandra Vlašić (Terra Hub Croatia) and Ms. Jadranka Ćurković (marketing & start-up support specialist, founder of company 200 C Ltd.) presented their experiences in mapping existing social innovations, developing cross-sectoral collaboration, measuring social impact of projects, identifying first signals of problems at the incubator, importance of continuous development of ecosystems for social entrepreneurship and innovation, etc.

H. E. Zina Kalay Kleitman the Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Croatia gave a support to all program's participants and welcomed a cooperation between Israeli and Indian universities, while Mr. Branko Štefanović, President of VERN’s Board of Governors shared his experience in the segment of social entrepreneurship.

Accommodation

BUDGET CONSIDERATION

Travel & Meeting Venue

University of applied sience VERN'