No 2016/16 From Social Innovation to System Innovation

Assisted living experiments in Britain and Norway

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify and understand differences and similarities in system innovation policy by comparing state responses to assisted living in two contrasting national systems of care, namely that of the UK and Norway. To do so the paper draws on a number of new theoretical perspectives - including social innovation, socio-technical transitions and embedded state theory – to analyze place-based approaches to experimenting with new solutions and services in respective countries and the way in which different systems of national care lead to significantly different processes and outcomes in the area of ageing.