Social Innovation: How Societies Find the Power to Change

The 21st century has brought a cornucopia of new knowledge and technologies. But there has been little progress in our ability to solve social problems using social innovation – the deliberate invention of new solutions to meet social needs - across the globe.

Geoff Mulgan is a pioneer in the global field of social innovation. Building on his experience advising international governments, businesses and foundations, he explains how it provides answers to today’s global social, economic and sustainability issues. He argues for matching R&D in technology and science with a socially focused R&D and harnessing creative imagination on a larger scale than ever before.

Weaving together history, ideas, policy and practice, he shows how social innovation is now coming of age, offering a comprehensive view of what can be done to solve the global social challenges we face.

Sir Geoff Mulgan is Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London (UCL). Previously he was Chief Executive of Nesta, the UK's innovation foundation, Director of the government's Strategy Unit and Head of Policy in the Prime Minister's office, Chief Executive of The Young Foundation, Director of the think-tank Demos and Chief Adviser to Gordon Brown MP and a reporter on BBC TV and radio. He is a senior visiting scholar at Harvard University and advises governments around the world. He is the author of many books including Good and Bad Power (Penguin) and Big Mind (Princeton University Press).