Societies advance through innovation every bit as much as economies do.
Social innovation thrives on collaboration; on doing things with others, rather than just to them or for them: hence the great interest in new ways of using the web to 'crowdsource' ideas, or the many experiments involving users in designing services.
All innovation is about letting go, saying goodbye to things to create space for the new.
A tablet replacing an exercise book is not innovation, it's just a different way to make notes.
The most dynamic cities have always been immersed in the critical innovations of their time.
All over the world, social innovation is tackling some of the most pressing problems facing society today - from fair trade, distance learning, hospices, urban farming and waste reduction to restorative justice and zero-carbon housing. But most of these are growing despite, not because of, help from governments.
Governments that invest billions in new hardware still find it hard to accept that they might benefit just as much from systematic innovation in such things as child development or cutting crime.
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