Kublai (2014)

collaborative innovation

Participating Organizations: Ministry for Development and Economic Cohesion, UVAL (National Unit for evaluation of public investment)

Action: Kublai is a collaborative environment where project ideas can be discussed, refined, and developed into viable projects. It has been created in 2008 by the Department of Development Policies of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development to help good ideas turn into real world social innovation projects with a concrete economic and employment impact at the local level.

Challenge: Kublai does not stress competition amongst start-up projects, but aims at promoting exchange and establishing collaboration amongst people who share the common interest based on the assumption that innovation is always a collective process. The platform does not award funds to start-ups, but advises and accompanies the deserving projects to access public or private funding. Cooperation is free and voluntary: based on personal passions, interests, and life projects, each and every participant to Kublai’s social platform can choose the most appropriate way to interact with others.

Inclusive social impact engendered: increased social innovation capacities as a community, increased collaboration as a value, higher visibility and capacity to attract funding for creative and innovative ideas

Methodology: peer digital mentoring