{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,3]],"date-time":"2026-02-03T21:13:38Z","timestamp":1770153218919,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]],"date-time":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1611532800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["DL57\/2016\/CP1341\/CT0013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DL57\/2016\/CP1341\/CT0013"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SFRH\/BD\/117398\/2016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/117398\/2016"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"INTERREG Atlantic Area Programme","award":["EAPA_246\/2016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EAPA_246\/2016"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["World"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The state is facing turbulent times. Financial and economic turmoil, growing inequalities, disinvestment in public and social services, and political disenchantment are but a few problems that contemporary society is facing, while traditional policies are failing to deliver the desired results. Social innovation is a possible approach to deal with emergent social needs. Research and policy experimentation on social innovation increased in the last decade, but many questions remain open. One key interrogation regards the relation of social innovation with the state. How can the state, considering the multi-level interactions that necessarily exist between different stakeholders, promote these practices? Using the case of Portugal, and the recent implementation of a pioneer public programmed dedicated to social innovation\u2014Portugal Social Innovation\u2014, this article contributes to the understanding of the role the state in the promotion of social innovation and the challenges, tensions, and difficulties experienced by those involved in the sector, whether as practitioners of social innovation or as heads of public institutions responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of social innovations. The article presents data gathered from a focus group involving the representatives from key third sector associations and officials responsible for public institutions that support the implementation of social innovation at the relevant levels of government (national, regional, local). Results show opportunities and tensions between the third sector and the different levels of the state, and a difficulty to adapt the processes and practices of public administration to the dynamic and creative nature of social innovation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/world2010005","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]],"date-time":"2021-01-25T12:28:31Z","timestamp":1611577711000},"page":"62-80","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Social Innovation and the Role of the State: Learning from the Portuguese Experience on Multi-Level Interactions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"2","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8497-4798","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Pinto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, 3000-104 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"CinTurs, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carla","family":"Nogueira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CinTurs, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4488-2343","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J. Andr\u00e9","family":"Guerreiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, 3000-104 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"F\u00e1bio","family":"Sampaio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, 3000-104 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Westley, F., McGowan, K., and Tjornbo, O. (2017). The history of Social Innovation. The Evolution of Social Innovation: Building Resilience Through Transitions, Edward Elgar Publishing.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781786431158.00006"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Backhaus, J., Genus, A., Lorek, S., Vadovics, E., and Wittmayer, J.M. (2018). Introduction: The nexus of Social Innovation, sustainable consumption and societal transformation. Social Innovation and Sustainable Consumption: Research and Action for Societal Transformation, Routledge\/Taylor & Francis Group.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315201559"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moulaert, F., MacCallum, D., Mehmood, A., and Hamdouch, A. (2013). Social Innovation: Intuition, precept, concept, theory and practice. The International Handbook on Social Innovation: Collective Action, Social Learning and Transdisciplinary Research, Edward Elgar Publishing.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781849809993.00011"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socec.2009.02.011","article-title":"Social Innovation: Buzz word or enduring term?","volume":"38","author":"Pol","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Socio-Econ."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.techfore.2013.05.008","article-title":"Social Innovation: Moving the Field Forward: A conceptual framework","volume":"82","year":"2014","journal-title":"Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peris-Ortiz, M., G\u00f3mez, J.A., and Marquez, P. (2018). Strategies and Best Practices in Social Innovation: An Overview. Strategies and Best Practices in Social Innovation: An Institutional Perspective, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-89857-5"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Howaldt, J., Kaletka, C., Schroder, Z., and Zirngiebl, M. (2019). The Interplay between Social Innovation and Sustainability in the CASI and other FP7 Projects. Atlas of Social Innovation: New Practices for a Better Future, SI Drive. Orgs.","DOI":"10.14512\/9783962386887"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1080\/15588742.2014.901205","article-title":"Role of State-Level Governments in Fostering Social Innovation","volume":"13","author":"Berzin","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Policy Pract."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Nicholls, A., and Murdock, A. (2012). The Theoretical Foundations of Social Innovation. Social Innovation: Blurring Boundaries to Reconfigure Markets, Palgrave Macmillan."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"454","DOI":"10.1080\/09654313.2019.1639397","article-title":"A comprehensive concept of social innovation and its implications for the local context on the growing importance of social innovation ecosystems and infrastructures","volume":"28","author":"Domanski","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. Plan. Stud."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1332\/030557314X14042230109592","article-title":"Governance: Public governance to social innovation?","volume":"44","author":"Massey","year":"2016","journal-title":"Policy Politics"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Backhaus, J., Genus, A., Lorek, S., Vadovics, E., and Wittmayer, J. (2017). The nexus of social innovation, sustainable consumption and societal transformation. Social Innovation and Sustainable Consumption\u2014Research and Action for Societal Transformation, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315201559"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"887","DOI":"10.1177\/0007650318789104","article-title":"Social Innovation: Integrating Micro, Meso, and Macro Level Insights from Institutional Theory","volume":"58","author":"Wijk","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bus. Soc."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"443","article-title":"Portugal Inova\u00e7\u00e3o Social: Na Encruzilhada dos Tempos","volume":"39","author":"Almeida","year":"2017","journal-title":"Coop. E Econ. Soc."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Meira, D.A. (2021, January 19). The Portuguese Law on Social Economy. Available online: http:\/\/www.socioeco.org\/bdf_fiche-document-4127_en.html."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"508","DOI":"10.1108\/EJIM-10-2013-0099","article-title":"Universities\u2019 contributions to social innovation: Reflections in theory & practice","volume":"18","author":"Benneworth","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. J. Innov. Manag."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Godin, B. (2012). Innovation in Post-Revolutionary France, Project on the Intellectual, INRS. History of Innovation."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Westley, F., McGowan, K., and Tj\u00f6rnbo, O. (2017). The Evolution of Social Innovation: Building Resilience through Transitions, Edward Elgar.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781786431158"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Godin, B. (2015). Innovation Contested: The Idea of Innovation over the Centuries, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315855608"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"763","DOI":"10.1177\/001872679104400802","article-title":"The Organization Dimension of Global Change","volume":"44","author":"Cooperrider","year":"1991","journal-title":"Hum. Relat."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"321","article-title":"Social innovation and the governance of sustainable places","volume":"20","author":"Baker","year":"2015","journal-title":"Local Environ. Int. J. Justice Sustain."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Guerreiro, J.A. (2016, January 5\u20136). Interdisciplinary Research in Social Sciences: A two-way process?. Proceedings of the International Congress on Interdisciplinarity in Social and Human Sciences, Faro, Portugal."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Mulgan, G., Tucker, S., Ali, R., and Sanders, B. (2007). Social Innovation: What It Is, Why It Matters and How It Can Be Accelerated, Oxford Said Business School. Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Working Paper."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"The Young Foundation (2012). Social Innovation Overview: A Deliverable of the Project: \u201cThe Theoretical, Empirical and Policy Foundations for Building Social Innovation in Europe\u201d (TEPSIE) 2012, European Commission\u20147th Framework Programme, European Commission, DG Research."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.31637\/epsir.17-1.5","article-title":"Building a middle range theory of Transformative Social Innovation: Theoretical pitfalls and methodological responses","volume":"2","author":"Haxeltine","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur. Public Soc. Innov. Rev."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"Westall, F. (2007). How Can Innovation in Social Enterprise Be Understood, Encouraged and Enabled? A Social Enterprise Think Piece for the Office of the Third Sector, Cabinet Office of the Third Sector."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Garrido, A., and Pereira, D. (2018). A Economia Social em Movimento: Uma Hist\u00f3ria das Organiza\u00e7\u00f5es, Tinta da China."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"141","article-title":"Welfare State in Portugal: Delegated powers or disclaims responsibility?","volume":"147","author":"Almeida","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gigapp Estud. Work. Pap."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"131","article-title":"L\u2019innovazione sociale: Aspetti concettuali, problematiche metodologiche e implicazioni per l\u2019agenda della ricerca","volume":"35","author":"Barbera","year":"2020","journal-title":"Polis"},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Sanchez-Hernandez, M., Carvalho, L., Rego, C., Lucas, R., and Backx, A. (2021). Social Innovation, Fourth Sector and the Commodification of the Welfare State: The Portuguese Experience. Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Fourth Sector: Sustainable Best-Practices from across the World, Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Godin, B., and Vinck, D. (2017). A discourse analysis of innovation in academia management literature. Critical Studies of Innovation: Alternative Approaches to the Pro-Innovation Bias, Edward Elgar.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781785367229"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Godin, B., and Vinck, D. (2017). Unattended consequences of innovation. Critical Studies of Innovation: Alternative Approaches to the Pro-Innovation Bias, Edward Elgar.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781785367229"},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"145","article-title":"The Process of Social Innovation","volume":"1","author":"Mulgan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Innov. Technol. Gov. Glob."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.31637\/epsir.17-2.4","article-title":"Social Innovation and Smart Specialisation: Opportunities for Atlantic Regions","volume":"2","author":"Nogueira","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur. Public Soc. Innov. Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"169","article-title":"Social Innovation on the Rise: Yet Another Buzzword in a Time of Austerity?","volume":"1","author":"Grisolia","year":"2015","journal-title":"Salute e Societa"},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Moulaert, F., Mehmood, A., MacCallum, D., and Leubolt, B. (2017). Social Innovation as a Trigger for Transformations: The Role of Research, Publications Office of the European Union."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moulaert, F., MacCallum, D., Mehmood, A., and Hamdouch, A. (2013). Social Innovation in governance and public management systems: Towards a new paradigm?. The International Handbook on Social Innovation: Collective Action, Social Learning and Transdisciplinary Research, Edward Elgar Publishing.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781849809993"},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"MacCallum, D., Moulaert, F., Hillier, J., and Haddock, S.V. (2009). Social Innovation and Governance of Scale in Austria. Social Innovation and Territorial Development, Ashgate."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Swyngedouw, E. (2009). Civil Society, Governmentality and the Contradictions of Governance-Beyond-State: The Janus-Face of Social Innovation, Ashgate."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Howaldt, J., Kaletka, C., Schr\u00f6der, A., and Zirngiebl, M. (2019). Social Innovation and Public Policy. Atlas of Social Innovation, Oekom Verlag GmbH.","DOI":"10.14512\/9783962386887"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1002\/eet.1777","article-title":"Power in Sustainability Transitions: Analysing power and (dis)empowerment in transformative change towards sustainability","volume":"27","author":"Avelino","year":"2017","journal-title":"Environ. Policy Gov."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/019145378601100201","article-title":"The New Obscurity: The crisis of the welfare state and the exhaustion of utopian energies","volume":"11","author":"Habermas","year":"1986","journal-title":"Philos. Soc. Crit."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1016\/j.techfore.2017.05.002","article-title":"Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment","volume":"145","author":"Avelino","year":"2019","journal-title":"Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"421","DOI":"10.1007\/s10842-019-00329-w","article-title":"Challenge-Driven Innovation Policy: Towards a New Policy Toolkit","volume":"20","author":"Mazzucato","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Ind. Compet. Trade"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.5465\/19416520.2014.893615","article-title":"Advancing Research on Hybrid Organizing","volume":"8","author":"Battilana","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acad. Manag. Ann."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.1108\/SEJ-04-2018-0036","article-title":"Systemic innovation labs: A lab for wicked problems","volume":"14","author":"Zivkovic","year":"2018","journal-title":"Soc. Enterp. J."},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"BEPA (2014). Empowering People, Driving Change: Social Innovation in the European Union, Publications Office of the European Union."},{"key":"ref_48","unstructured":"European Commission (2019). Report from the Commission on the Mid-Term Evaluation of the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), Publications Office of the European Union."},{"key":"ref_49","unstructured":"Maduro, M., Pasi, G., and Misuraca, G. (2018). Social Impact Investment in the EU. Financing Strategies and Outcome Oriented Approaches for Social Policy Innovation: Narratives, Experiences, and Recommendations, Publications Office of the European Union."},{"key":"ref_50","first-page":"1031","article-title":"O salazarismo e o homem novo: Ensaio sobre o homem novo e a quest\u00e3o do totalitarismo","volume":"35","author":"Rosas","year":"2001","journal-title":"An\u00e1lise Soc."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ferreira, A.R., Carolo, D., Pereira, M.T., and Silva, P.A. (2016). Fundamentos Constitucionais da Prote\u00e7\u00e3o Social. Sociologia Problemas e Pr\u00e1ticas, 71\u201397. Available online: http:\/\/journals.openedition.org\/spp\/2613.","DOI":"10.7458\/SPP2016NE10351"},{"key":"ref_52","first-page":"1110","article-title":"Welfare Cuts and Insecurity under the Rule of Austerity: The Impact of the Crisis on Portuguese Social Services","volume":"5","author":"Hespanha","year":"2015","journal-title":"O\u00f1ati Socio-Leg. Ser."},{"key":"ref_53","unstructured":"Vieira, N.S., Parente, C., and Barbosa, A. (2017). \u2018Terceiro setor\u2019, \u2018economia social\u2019 e \u2018economia solid\u00e1ria\u2019: Laborat\u00f3rio por excel\u00eancia de inova\u00e7\u00e3o social. Sociologia, 100\u2013121."},{"key":"ref_54","first-page":"1","article-title":"A Lei de Bases da Economia Social Portuguesa: Do Projecto ao Texto Final","volume":"24","author":"Meira","year":"2013","journal-title":"Rev. Jur\u00eddica"},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fern, E. (2001). Advanced Focus Group Research, Sage Publications.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781412990028"},{"key":"ref_56","unstructured":"Revenson, T., D\u2019Augelli, A., and French, S. (2002). Using focus groups to facilitate culturally anchored research. Ecological Research to Promote Social Change: Methodological Advances from Community Psychology, Kluwer Academic\/Plenum Publishers."},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barbour, R. (2007). Doing Focus Groups, SAGE Publications.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781849208956"},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Backhaus, J., Audley, G., Lorek, S., Vadovics, E., and Wittmayer, J. (2018). Conceptualizing the Role of Social Innovation in Sustainability Transformations. Social Innovation and Sustainable Consumption: Research and Action for Societal Transformation, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315201559"},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Franz, H., Hochgerner, J., and Howaldt, J. (2012). Social Innovation or Social Exclusion? Innovating Social Services in the Context of a Retrenching Welfare State. Challenge Social Innovation, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-32879-4"},{"key":"ref_60","unstructured":"Carvalho, L.C., Rego, C., Lucas, M., S\u00e1nchez-Hern\u00e1ndez, M., and Viana, A. (2019). Smart Specialisation and the Entrepreneurial Discovery: A New Approach to Design Structural Change. Studies on Entrepreneurship, Structural Change and Industrial Dynamics. New Paths of Entrepreneurship Development, Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"ref_61","first-page":"48","article-title":"A Methodological Framework for Measuring Social Innovation","volume":"40","author":"Bund","year":"2015","journal-title":"Hist. Soc. Res."}],"container-title":["World"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-4060\/2\/1\/5\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T05:14:53Z","timestamp":1760159693000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-4060\/2\/1\/5"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]]},"references-count":61,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3]]}},"alternative-id":["world2010005"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/world2010005","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4060"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4060","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,25]]}}}