Between technological innovation and social innovation: a new design and process dimension. Dialogue with Maurizio Busacca

The building sector is not traditionally a real engine for innovation despite several technological and non technological innovation contributed to its transformation, especially in the last decades, and still contribute to create new trends (Antonini, 2007). Innovation shall be related to new products availability, to design management, to process organization but, most cases, it is welcomed with mistrust and slowness before it is really able to modify long term consolidated practices (Sinopoli, 2002). Innovation has often met the building sector adapting and transferring new solutions from other sectors such as chemical, mechanical, armament, aerospace, etc. industries and more recently the ICT sector. The so called enabler technologies become tools for consumers/citizens to have access, using the web, a number of product and services. According to this interaction an interesting change in the point of view emerges considering a user centred perspective in social transformations (Boeri et al., 2017). Assuming most readers are familiar with technological innovation fundamentals, it’s interesting to investigate social innovation mechanisms that may contribute to the transformation process and, first of all, the meaning of social innovation itself.