MAPEAMENTO DA ARTICULAÇÃO DE INICIATIVAS DE INOVAÇÃO SOCIAL NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SÃO CARLOS (UFSCAR): PRIMEIROS PASSOS PARA UM ECOSSISTEMA MULTICAMPI

Abstract

This paper reports on the experience conducted by the Innovation Agency of the Federal University of São Carlos (AIn-UFSCar) in identifying and articulating social innovation initiatives developed across the institution’s four campuses. The proposal emerged in the context of expanding the institutional scope of the AIn, traditionally focused on intellectual property protection, and was motivated by recommendations from oversight bodies—the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU) and the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU)—urging Scientific and Technological Institutions (STIs) to incorporate social dimensions into their innovation policies. The main objective was to recognize, systematize, and strengthen practices with direct social impact that are often rendered invisible by traditional funding logics. A participatory approach was adopted, involving the application of a widely disseminated digital survey and inclusive identification criteria. The mapping identified 45 initiatives operating in areas such as social and assistive technologies, collective health, popular education, sustainability, and public policies. The results, presented through charts and figures, highlight the territorial, gender, and institutional diversity of the mapped actions, as well as the significant presence of community partnerships. As outcomes of this process, the AInConecta: Social Innovation event was held, thematic Working Groups were established, and the initial steps toward building an institutional, multicampus social innovation ecosystem were undertaken. The study concludes that the institutionalization of these practices requires specific policies, substantial funding comparable to that allocated to technological innovation, participatory governance structures, and the recognition of social innovation as a strategic axis in the mission of public universities