Innovation and Structural Change

How can communities measure and improve their well-being, and is well-being a better measure of a country’s progress than GDP? How can antibiotic prescribing guidelines be built into the computer software used by a GP? How is a complex topic like antibiotic resistance distilled into a meaningful message for the public and delivered through digital media? How can marketing be used to persuade people that products which damage the environment can no longer be tolerated?

Combining research and knowledge from business, management, marketing, economics, public policy and the social sciences, the Social Innovation and Policy cluster researches pressing societal problems, like obesity, antibiotic resistance, public transport, and sustainable marine resources. The cluster looks for community and collective initiatives that bring positive social change. It combines policy insight, stakeholder engagement and private sector expertise to develop innovative policy solutions, improved governance systems, and the capacity of the public to influence those who make decisions affecting their lives and well-being.

If you would like to research social innovation and policy – or your government, organisation or community could benefit from our expertise – contact the cluster leader Dr Christine Domegan.

Key Research Questions

The research agenda of the Social Innovation and Policy cluster is very wide ranging. A combination of academic and practical methods, an understanding of behavioural changes, participatory processes and social movements, and use of community intervention and knowledge partnerships, has enabled the cluster to develop participant-led expertise on society-wide problems like:

  1. Obesity.
  2. Antibiotic resistance.
  3. Public transport.
  4. Sustainable marine resources.