New competence center for social innovation to empower young people in southern Stockholm

Södertörn University is leading a new research and collaboration project with the aim of empower young people in southern Stockholm. The Competence Hub for Social Innovation Södertörn will be built up over three years.

– This is about stimulating entrepreneurship and social innovations that can lead to employment for young people in southern Stockholm and sustainable community development, says Malin Gawell, associate professor and researcher at Södertörn University.

The project will be run as a partnership between Södertörn University, SE Forum, Changers Hub, Reach for Change and Fabege, in collaboration with Flemingsberg Science, Huddinge and other Södertörn municipalities.

– It’s not a traditional training course, but more practical interventions where young people can develop ideas, build prototypes and business plans. The aim is to support them in starting a business or finding other ways to make a living.

A group of researchers at Södertörn University will follow the project. They will contribute both knowledge and study how the processes work in practice.

– We want to be part of the activities and do research on what is happening. It’s about learning from developments, adapting interventions and creating knowledge that can also be used in other contexts, explains Malin Gawell.

The aim is for the project to build long-term structures and networks around social innovation in the region.

– A lot is already being done, but it is often fragmented. Through this competence center, we want to strengthen the entire ecosystem and connect actors, so that young people in our area have better conditions to succeed in the labor market and in life in general, says Malin Gawell.

The article is produced in collaboration with Södertörn University.

Contact malin.gawell@sh.se

More about the project
Competence Center for Social Innovation Södertörn is funded by the European Social Fund. The project started in the summer of 2025 and will run for three years, with the goal of creating a platform that lives on even after the project period.