Scaling Social Innovation
Social enterprises have seen remarkable growth in recent years, tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges with innovative solutions. But turning promising ideas into scalable, lasting impact remains a significant hurdle. The Leuphana Social Innovation Community is here to bridge that gap. We explore, develop, and test practical strategies to help social innovations grow, amplifying their reach, and strengthening their contribution to a more sustainable future.
©Jasper Ehrich
Our interactive workshops are for anyone interested in scaling social innovation and impact. You will learn how scientific findings can be translated into practical strategies and also develop individual scaling approaches for your ideas. What are the success factors? What challenges await you on the path to scaling? With a mix of theoretical input and practical exercises, the workshop offers a platform for the exchange of best practices and personal experiences.
If you have an idea yourself that is just waiting to be scaled, please get in touch with us or check the dates for the next workshop and register directly.
©jasper ehrich
In recent decades, there has been a remarkable rise in social entrepreneurial activities and the proliferation of social innovations. Social innovations are understood to be innovations in products, processes or forms of organisation that are developed in collaboration with social stakeholders to solve social challenges such as climate change or new forms of mobility and work. Nevertheless, despite the establishment of numerous social ventures, achieving significant growth in their social impact remains a major. With the project “TrICo – Transformation through Innovation and Cooperation in Communities”, Leuphana University is also advancing social innovations in and around Lüneburg in collaboration with many partners. In particular, the Social Innovation Community is committed to generating and disseminating social innovations. This generates extensive knowledge in academia and practice, which we aim to disseminate as a casebook. The goal is not only to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in scaling social innovations but also to provide concrete, practical relevance. Therefore, we invite case studies (approx. 6,000 words) that analyze and present an organization or initiative and their respective approach to scaling a social innovation.
As part of the Social Entrepreneurship Forum 2026, Martin Jung (Investitions- und Förderbank Hamburg), Robert Hoyer (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg), Monja Jänisch (Acker e.V.), and Linda Rau (Joblinge gAG) discussed in a panel how social innovations can grow without losing sight of their impact. The discussion focused on questions about suitable financing instruments, structural framework conditions, and strategic partnerships that support social enterprises in scaling. Moderated by Martina Offeh, it became clear that successful scaling requires not only resources but also strong networks, clear impact goals, and appropriate political and economic framework conditions.
Write Your Thesis about Scaling!
There is currently a call for bachelor and master theses for our research topic ‘Scaling Social Innovation’. If you would like to write your thesis in this area, you can find more information on the topic here.