GIS - TRANSFER CENTER FOUNDATION

29. GIS-TC "Social Innovation"

Vidin
29, “Han Asparuh” street, office 114
phone: + 359 887 921095
raya.staykova@gis-tc.org

The Center has been established in 2013 as a result of several effective mediations between researchers and business partners probating new models and mechanisms for collaboration into practice. Researchers and high qualified specialists from SME had been motivated to work together for generating social innovations in different areas. Most of the Centers’ activities concern scientific and knowledge transfer, research and analysis, advice, expertise and assistances for policy and decision makers in tourist sector, social services for people with disabilities, health services, labor market. Main activities of the Center are oriented towards knowledge transfer, social innovation, carrying out economic and social analysis and diagnostic of social situations for accumulation new product and services.

The Center worked on regional and international level and carried out projects funded by CBC-EU Programs and national OPHDR. It operates as a network of experts, talented and skilled to identify potential areas for social innovations as well as to motivate actors for collaboration.

Our experts provide consultancy and training on:

• research, consultancy and expertise on evaluation capacity for innovation;
• mediation and establishing contacts with stakeholders, companies, government;
• identification and implementation social innovation based on knowledge transfer stimulating community development;
• consultancy for project application and project management for local actors;
• consultancy and training for sectoral collaboration and team work;
• carrying out studies and analysis concerning strategies for local and regional economic and social development;
• providing public campaign and presenting social innovations on local and national level.

Raya Staikova

Director of GIS-TC on "Social innovation”, Associate Professor at UNWE,( Master program, economic sociology). R. Staykova has PhD on neurosciences from Moscow State University and more than 30 years worked on various aspects of process of creativity and productivity in sciences. She is a co-founder of a technic for social diagnostic, author of a training program for MS and PhD students for development transferable skills to work in multidisciplinary and complex field, author of a model for knowledge R&D transfer into practice. Since 2005 her interest is on innovation and forming proper environment for it. Her experience is on theoretical and practical level. She was project manager and national coordinator as well as key expert in projects funded by PHARE and other EU funded programs. Some of her achieved results and good practices on social innovations are published in: Staykova R., People with disabilities- visible and invisible : social innovation in action, 2015, Publishing House: ARTIPO, Vidin (in Bulgarian);

Staykova, R., Gadeleva Z., To overpass the barriers: young scientists in the current changing environment, 2011, Publishing House: ISSK-BAS, Sofia, (in Bulgarian).

The team of the Center is dynamic and formed on an open approach. The team combines experts with long-term experience in knowledge transfer, diagnostic of social situations and environment, management, market policy and public campaign.

Our partners are academic institutes and universities, SME and NGOs providing social services, local authorities.

• SOUL Skills, 2021-2023
• “Multiple Intelligence –New Approach for Effective Education” (MI-NAEE), 2019-2021
• Design MS and Doctoral Training Program on Core Research and Transferable Skills, project funded by OPHRD 2008-2010;
• To Overcome the Barrier Expanding skills and qualification of the young scientists - a prerequisite for professional development in frontier areas of science and practice, funded by OPHRD,2009-2011
• Possibilities for Development New Cross-Border Tourist products in Vidin and Zajecar, funded by IPA BG-Serbia, 2012
• Accessibility for All – New Vision of Existing Social Services for Disabled People- Municipality Haskovо, 2012, funded by CBC- BG-Greece;
• Functional Model for CBC – BG-RO Network of Equality Centers, funded under CBC BG-RO,2013
• Employment for people with disabilities, funded by IPA - BG-Tr CBC, 2014
• Identification new tourist services in a Cross-Border Region –IPA- BG-FYROM, 2017
• Social Craft Partnership, Interreg Greece-Bulgaria, 2014-2020;
• Active Communities: Building Capacity for Change, partner to AGORA (NGO), 2017-2019