GCU Social Innovation Fair draws huge crowds

Social Innovation Fair

Social innovators from all over the world flocked to Glasgow Caledonian University to take part in our hugely successful Social Innovation Fair.

The Fair, organised by the University’s Research and Innovation Office, was a showcase of our collaborative projects helping to change lives locally, nationally and internationally.

More than 100 people turned up to hear our social innovation partners from across Scotland and beyond highlight our joint initiatives, including those in low-income countries such as Vietnam and Sub Saharan Africa.

Key partnership projects being led by the RIO team include SEVERE, Atlantic Social Lab, Social Innovation Connect UK, Supporting Youth Social Entrepreneurship in Sub Saharan Africa, and SILKEN Vietnam.

Some of the partners and stakeholders represented at the two-day event, held in the Sir Alex Ferguson Library on May 18, came from business, government, universities and social enterprise in Spain, Malaysia, Croatia, Portugal, Ireland and South Africa.

Scottish social innovation organisations including The Melting Pot, FirstPort, Code Your Future and Challenges Group were also involved in the Fair.

Mark Majewsky Anderson, Research and Innovation Director, said: “We are grateful for the enthusiastic participation we witnessed during the Social Innovation Fair and are very much looking forward to further gatherings.

“It is important for us to push for active collaboration and cultivate a concrete ecosystem for social innovation. Through this event, we have successfully fostered connections and shared impactful insights which will benefit us all.”

Social innovation is about identifying and rolling out new ideas to help create a fairer, healthier and more sustainable society. For Glasgow Caledonian University, it’s about working directly with communities as co-creators to ensure our research has real impact in their lives and the wider world around us. While commercial innovation is about generating wealth, social innovation is about delivering positive social change.