Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG)

The Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) aims to create a research community for sharing research and practitioner activity in sustainable social innovation. The SIRG will enable the sharing of both practice and research based activity in the broad area of social innovation. The following is illustrative of SIRG’s activity themes:

Social innovation promoting circular economy outcomes
Managing and leading social innovation
Social innovation and climate change
Developing community agency and capacity for local economic development
The role of finance in enabling social innovation

To help build and maintain a research community focused on social innovation the research group will actively engage with its stakeholders. This engagement is designed to maintain a dialogue to produce practitioner and academic outputs for the mutual benefit of stakeholders. A social innovation practitioner advisory board has been created. Members of the research group are drawn from across the world.

SIRG Aim

To provide a platform for social innovation research at Aberystwyth Business School in areas such as local economy and community organisational practice, the circular economy, and local socio-economic regeneration policy and practice.

SIRG Objectives

To create a research community for social innovation research based at Aberystwyth Business School and amongst its Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion, Wales, UK, and global stakeholders.
To create research outputs which support social innovation practitioners in their work.
To support and contribute to Aberystwyth Business School research culture – via the delivery of one research/practice symposium per year.
To produce research outputs which meet the requirements of the University’s Research Excellence Framework submission.

Wales based SIRG collaborators

CLaRE research centre – Aberystwyth Business School
CRiSiS research centre – Aberystwyth Business School
The Worlds We Want research hub – Aberystwyth University
Rural Future research hub – Aberystwyth University
UN Regional Centres of Expertise (Cymru) Resilient Communities
Economy and Regeneration Service, Ceredigion County Council
Mid-Wales based circular economy social enterprises
Hwyl – Rhondda Community Knowledge initiative (RCKi).

Figure 1.0 SIRG relationship map

SIRG alignment with Aberystwyth University Civic Mission

Focus on addressing contemporary challenges through our research and the development of evidence informed debate in Wales and more widely.
Use our expertise to foster economic development locally and further afield.
Impact on the politics, culture, economy, and public services of Wales through our knowledge and expertise.

Research Group Director - Dr Lyndon Murphy

SIRG Symposium proceedings 2024

Social Innovation Research Group

1st Annual Symposium

Wednesday 24^th January 2024

Aberystwyth University (and online)

Symposium proceedings

Publications and current projects

Publications and current projects

Murphy, L., Huggins, R. and Thompson, P. (2015) Social capital and innovation: a comparative analysis of regional policies. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy p.0263774X15597448

urphy, L. J., Pickernell, D., Thomas, B. and Fuller, D. (2018) ‘Innovation, social capital, and regional policy: The case of the Communities First programme in Wales’, Regional Studies, Regional Science 5 (1), pp 21-39 https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2017.1405740

Thomas, B. and Murphy, L. eds. (2019) Innovation and Social Capital in Organizational Ecosystems, IGI Global, Pennsylvania.

Murphy, L. (2019) Social capital and innovation: A theoretical perspective, in Thomas, B. and Murphy, L. eds Innovation and Social Capital in Organizational Ecosystems, IGI Global, Pennsylvania.

Murphy, L. (2023) Circular Economy case study Craft and the circular economy, Wales Innovation Network - funded)

Murphy, L. (2023) Circular Economy case study Aber Food Surplus and the circular economy (Wales Innovation Network - funded).

Walpole, G., Dewale, B., Evans, S., Fuller-Love, N., Hopkins, S., Liu, Z., Moghadam, P., Murphy, L., Rich, N. and Sain-Ley-Berry, C. (2023) Circular economy implementation: Case studies in Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, published report, https://doi.org/10.25401/cardiffmet.21666719

Conference presentations

Murphy, L. and Clifton, N. (2018) Area-based regeneration in Wales – the case of the Communities First programme, Advances in Management and Informatics Conference, Cardiff.

Murphy, L. and Clifton, N. (2019) Area-based regeneration in Wales – an evaluation of the regeneration programme evaluation process, Advances in Management and Innovation Conference, Cardiff.

Murphy, L. (2019) Communities First capacity building, Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) conference, Aberystwyth.

Murphy, L. Samuel, G., Thomas, B. and Higgins, D. (2020) Help or hindrance? The bi-directional relationship between social enterprises and area-based initiatives - the case of the Communities First programme in Wales, Regional Centre of Expertise – Regeneration, Place-based Sustainable Development/Regeneration Symposium, Cardiff

Murphy, L. Samuel, G., Thomas, B. and Higgins, D. (2020) Help or hindrance? The bi-directional relationship between social enterprises and area-based initiatives - the case of the Communities First programme in Wales, Advances in Management and Innovation Conference, Cardiff

Murphy, L., Morris, W. and Bennett-Gillison, S. (2021) Influencing community regeneration policy in Wales post-Covid19– an analysis of stakeholder discourse, Advances in Management and Innovation Conference, Cardiff.

Murphy, L., Morris, W. and Bennett-Gillison, S. (2021) Influencing community regeneration policy in Wales post-Covid19– a discourse analysis, CLaRE and Regional Centres of Expertise (Cymru) Resilient Communities Symposium, Aberystwyth

Murphy, L. (2022) The Cambrian Village Trust - community development in practice, CLaRE and Regional Centres of Expertise (Cymru) Resilient Communities Conference, Aberystwyth.

Murphy, L. (2022) Ceredigion - Circular Economy case studies, Circular economy practices in Wales – Who, What and How Conference, Cardiff.

Murphy, L. Fuller-Love, N and Bennett-Gillison, S. (2023) Analysing community regeneration policy in Wales post-Covid19 – a Case study approach, Advances in Management and Innovation Conference, Cardiff.

Murphy, L. Fuller-Love, N. (2023) Community-based, circular economy social enterprises in mid and north Wales– a case study approach, Advances in Management and Innovation Conference, Cardiff

Murphy, L. (2023) Should the circular economy become more digital or the digital economy become more circular? Internationalisation Conference, Campus02, Graz

Murphy, L. Fuller-Love, N. (2023) Circular economy social enterprises in mid and north Wales– a case study approach CLaRE and Regional Centres of Expertise (Cymru) Resilient Communities Conference, Aberystwyth.

Bennett-Gillison, S. and Raine, B. (2024) Building a Regenerative Economy, Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Jones, J. (2024), Regeneration of Llanidloes, Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Kenter J. O et al (2024) Ten principles for a new economics in a time of global crises Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. (2024) An Introduction to the ‘Styrian Community Development Outreach Team’, Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Plotnikova, M., Talbot, M. and Slaven, A. (2024), Post-pandemic holiday let economy in West Wales and its effect on the tourism sector, Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Slaven, A. (2024) The role of relational values in biodiversity offsetting and ecosystem valuation frameworks. Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Wyn, H.(2024) What if food could build biodiversity and tackle climate change?

Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Salhenegger-Niamir, A and Salhenegger-Niamir, K. (2024) Residential Dynamics and Community Sustainability in Mürzzuschlag: Strategies for Attraction and Retention, Social Innovation Symposium, Aberystwyth.

Documentary film

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. and Salhenegger-Niamir K. (2023) Mürzzuschlag: The Gate to Styria Mürzzuschlag Documentary Trailer

https://youtu.be/V87rJKfUHGM

Current projects

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. and Salhenegger-Niamir K. (2023) ‘Contemporary practices, sensibilities and perspectives towards the festivals of Krampus and Perchten and the regeneration of local culture as a marker of Styrian and Alpine identity in the Austrian Municipality of Mürzzuschlag’

Murphy, L. et al, (2023) Q method, post-Covid19 Welsh community development research project

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. and Salhenegger-Niamir K. (2023) 'An Ethnographic Insight into the Sense of Identity Among Welsh-Expats in Austria'

Murphy, L. et al, (2023) Q method, post-Covid19 Styrian community development research project

Film Research Project work-in-progress

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. and Salhenegger-Niamir K. (2023) A Sense of Idenitity in the British Expat Community of Austria

Future projects in planning

Salhenegger-Niamir, A. and Salhenegger-Niamir K. (2023) 'Sustaining Regeneration and Economic Growth in Austrian Municipality of Mürzzuschlag'.

Advisory board members

Social Innovation Research Group – Advisory Board

Name	Job role and organisation	Email address
Meriel Gough	Community Development Coordinator at Lovell, Wales	merielgough@aol.co.uk
Dr Dan Roberts	Swyddog Polisi ac Ymgysylltu \| Policy and Engagement Officer, Wales	dan.roberts@cwmpas.coop
Dr Gayle Rogers	The Workers Gallery, Wales	wood4tt@gmail.com
Nawa Joe Silishebo	The Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI), Zambia	nawajoesilishebo@gmail.com
Prof Etienne Nel	Professor of Geography, University of Otago	etienne.nel@otago.ac.nz
Dr Huynh Van Da	Vice-Dean, Can Tho University, Vietnam	hvda@ctu.edu.vn
Lee Philips	Wales Manager, Money and Pensions Service	lee.phillips@maps.org.uk
Dr Bill Llewellyn	Trustee, Gelligaled Park Community Action Group	wllew@sky.com
Hazel Lloyd Lubran	CEO, Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations.	hazel.lloyd-lubran@cavo.org.uk
Mark Baines	Head of Curriculum and Performance, Adult Learning Wales	mark.baines@adultlearning.wales
Heledd Wyn Hardy	Film Maker and charity trustee	heledd@heleddwyn.co.uk
Judith Langdon	Centre Manager, Wales Centre for Public Policy	jude.langdon@wcpp.org.uk
Jayne Kendall	Project Manager, Cranfield Trust Wales	jayne.kendall63@googlemail.com