A European yes to Sustainable Societies’ very own first Horizon 2020 project aimed at valorisation!

Social sciences and Humanities (SSH) are at the core of Sustainable Society, which started out in 2011 as the third spearhead of the University of Groningen. Since the beginning, interdisciplinary cooperation and societal impact have played a central role in Sustainable Society. SSH’s worth is also becoming more apparent on a European scale. In many European programmes for instance, SSH disciplines are now crucial for further development and innovation.

Sustainable Society acted as a coordinator for 13 other European Universities (University of Glasgow, University of Copenhagen, Mälardalen University, Newcastle University, University of Zagreb, University of Tartu, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Göttingen, University of Debrecen, University of Ghent, University of Barcelona, Tallinn University and University of Coimbra) and submitted a Horizon 2020 application called ACCOMPLISSH to the European Commission. ACCOMPLISSH: Accelerate co-creation by setting up a multi-actor platform for impact from Social sciences and Humanities. Sustainable Society has been invited to the European Commission for contract negotiations with the sole purpose of honouring the grant.

ACCOMPLISSH’s aim is to come up with an innovative valorisation concept together with 14 universities from 12 countries within three years. The concept is to be up-scaled on a European level. Analyzing co-creation processes in theory as well as in practice will develop the concept. Knowledge institutions, companies, governmental institutions and civil society, the so-called “quadruple helix”, will take part in the whole process. We will not only be looking at elements that make co-creation and valorisation possible, but we will also identify barriers that prevent these particular processes. The University of Groningen will form a local pilot together with the City of Groningen, CMO-STAMM and TCNN and research the co-creation process.

We will examine how results from a Social Sciences and Humanities focal point, will largely effect companies, governmental institutions and civil society. Moreover we will examine the research concept: to what degree can we valorise the research question by not only looking at the scientific point of view but also looking at societal challenges. Identifying end users at an early stage is an important factor. Another key element is the role of the support staff within the universities. They can act as an intermediate between scientific institutions and society.

ACCOMPLISSH is a validation of our efforts at Sustainable Society of the University of Groningen, which has played an active role in Brussels from the very beginning. The project will start at the beginning of 2016 and will round off in 2019. For more information please visit the following website www.accomplissh.eu or contact Ms Sharon Smit, Project Coordinator and Director of Sustainable Society via s.e.smit@rug.nl.