First Hamburg Regional Strategy Lab successfully conducted

Reflecting on the First Strategy Lab on Social Innovations

As part of the RESIST project, the first Strategy Lab focusing on Social Innovations was successfully conducted on 5 December 2024. As a first step, this inaugural gathering brought together participants from various Hamburg authorities, marking a significant step toward fostering cross-departmental collaboration for addressing pressing societal challenges.

Organized and facilitated by the teams from the Innovation Alliance (formed by the Hamburg Ministry of Economy and Innovation and the Hamburg Ministry for Science, Research, Equal Opportunities and Boroughs), and Zukunft Zwei, this Strategy Lab was the first in a planned series of at least three. The primary goal of this initial session was to create a basis for future co-operation within the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) by fostering links between the Hamburg authorities, as Social Innovation is a shared endeavour and requires strategic alignment across different sectors and departments to grow and thrive. 

Setting the Stage for Regional Innovation

The Strategy Labs in the RESIST project are designed to align innovation policies more closely with societal challenges. During the first session, participants discussed their respective organizational contexts, shared insights on the current status of social innovation efforts and explored the potential for collective action. While mapping out a collaborative path forward, participants recognized the need for more visibility and understanding of Social Innovation and overarching inter-agency coordination to drive systemic change. Building on these results, the next labs will lead to the formulation of cross-departmental goals for the Regional Innovation Strategy. 

Looking Ahead: Expanding the Dialogue

In preparation for the second Strategy Lab, which will feature a larger event involving participants from a wide range of organizations, the group compiled a list of key stakeholders to engage. With this expanded group of participants for the next Strategy Lab, the discussion will be broadened and will include even more perspectives in the further development of the RIS. By building on the outcomes of the first session, the next Strategy Lab will delve deeper into refining goals and exploring concrete measures to harness the full potential of Social Innovations in Hamburg. 

More changemakers will be part of the journey in shaping a future in which innovation policy not only fuels economic growth but also meets the needs of the society in an effective and inclusive way. 

Programme Manual Online

Choose