Maulik S. State mechanisms for implementing social innovations in sustainable development context

The dissertation is devoted to the issues of state regulation of the processes of introduction of social innovations in sustainable development context. The conceptual and terminological apparatus related to the public administration approach to the introduction of social innovations has been clarified, its evolution has been determined. The state mechanism of realization of social innovations and its connection with other state mechanisms and policies is defined. The problems that arise in the implementation of social innovations are outlined, the directions of creation of preconditions for the organization of these processes by governmental structures are determined. The analysis of legal, organizational and financial mechanisms of regulation of innovations in the national public sphere is carried out. The necessity of making changes in the legal mechanism of regulation of social innovation processes is substantiated, in particular legislative definition of the concept of “social innovations”. The evidences of priority directions of social innovations implementation, the further elaboration of national innovation system, and specifications of such directions are given. The expediency of using the tools of sociological research in state mechanisms realization for the implementation of social innovations in Ukraine is substantiated. Based on two sociological surveys, which differed in the degree of coverage of respondents, their status and target settings, methodology for assessing the degree of society’s readiness for social innovations was developed. The conducted surveys allowed to determine the degree of awareness of various social groups about social innovations; to determine the innovation potential of individuals in the innovation process; to assess the benefits of implementing social innovations for sustainable development of the society; to identify the potential of social innovation to reduce social tensions between dominant and marginalized groups in the society; and to determine the level of institutionalization of social innovations in Ukrainian society. The directions for creation of the social innovations market are defined; the characteristics of such market are given. The multifactor model of state regulation of innovation implementation processes is proposed. The classification of factors influencing the processes of innovation in the public sphere is given. Key words: state mechanisms for innovations implementation, social innovations, model of social innovations implementation, state regulation of social innovations implementation.