TosiT - The Open Societal Innovation Toolbox
What is TosiT?
The TosiT - Toolbox for Open Societal Innovation is a freely available database. It collects and evaluates applications, formats, methods, services and concrete examples of use in a structured way, which can promote open societal innovation.
What does Open Innovation and Open Societal Innovation mean?
In business administration, open innovation or open societal innovation refers to the opening of an organisation's innovation processes. In order to strengthen its own innovative power, an organisation aims to expand the circle of potential idea providers and idea users. This also allows external actors to contribute their knowledge and ideas to the innovation process of the respective organisation. At the same time, internally generated ideas can also be used. Together, existing approaches are further developed and refined. Open Societal Innovation adapts this approach to the area of state and society. Possible actors are public administration and civil society groups or individuals who jointly develop ideas to find solutions to various challenges in the social context.
How is TosiT used?
The database collects useful tools that can help in the cooperation between different actors. A filter function facilitates selection according to the respective requirements. In addition, the TosiT provides an overview of projects with lighthouse character in the field of open social innovation. These can serve as food for thought for planned projects. Since August 2020 we have also maintained a list of innovation laboratories in the public sector. Innovation labs are real or virtual spaces that act as a think tank for solutions in public administration and thus promote open innovation.
Who is TosiT interesting for?
The database is particularly suitable for public administrations at the local, state and federal level that would like to include suggestions from other actors in their work. At the same time, the tools can also be used by public companies, start-ups or civil society to promote social innovations. In addition, all interested parties are invited to find out more about projects and innovation laboratories and, where appropriate, to contribute their own proposals.
Further information:
Volume 10 of the TOGI publication series summarises the results of the development of the toolbox for open social innovation. The handbook informs about the background and possibilities of the TosiT in order to offer interested users the necessary support for using the database.
Volume 11 of the TOGI publication series prepares "Open Societal Innovation" and thus summarizes the results of the research project "eSociety Bodensee 2020". After identifying relevant actors and their roles in the innovation process, lighthouse and pilot projects in the Lake Constance region are presented and evaluated. The handbook for open social innovation also provides information about tools and their use and benefits for own innovative projects with social added value.
