79 Design for Social Innovation. Building a framework of connection between Design and Social Innovation. Marzia Mortati, Beatrice Villari marzia.mortati@polimi.it Politecnico di Milano, Italy Abstract The paper discusses the connections between social innovation and design practice/research outlining possible challenges for innovating in the service field. Social Innovation is one of the most promising frameworks for delivering service innovation that is receiving increasing attention from governments, academy, and businesses alike. Design is described as a privileged path to innovation, because it can establish a link with creativity and outline more efficient processes. The paper aims to provide a platform for discussion and learning that can ground a connection between the two topics. Moreover, it offers a critique of what has been achieved while highlighting the main questions for future development. KEYWORDS: social innovation, service innovation, collaborating, participating, networking Social Innovation: definitions and descriptions The international debate on innovation demonstrates that the technology-oriented paradigm characterizing the industrial society does not include the wider range of innovations depicting the transition from an industrial to a knowledge and service-based society (EU, 2010). This means that innovation requires also societal changes and the inclusion of key social concerns in the wealth of innovation approaches. Further, it implies opening up and revising the innovative process to connect differently needs and resources, and to re-assign roles and responsibilities to companies, institutions, universities and citizens. This is argued by scholars (Franz et al., 2011) as well as governmental institutions (Nesta, 2010) to strengthen the emergent debate and connect design and social innovation further on a theoretical level. In line with these perspectives, the present paper considers innovation beyond the social aspects recognized in the Oslo Manual (OECD, 2005). To recognize social innovation as a field of investigation in its on right, it argues that diverse perspectives need to be acknowledged resembling the variety of innovation fields – from product and