Social Innovation and Sustainable Development: An Approach in the Portuguese Municipal Context

With the aim of identifying the determinants and impacts of social innovation on local sustainable development, this article analyses a set of projects funded by the Portugal Social Innovation public initiative in 10 municipalities in the country where there was local authority investment. Using documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and local authority investors, it concludes that the experience led to the promotion of new practices, new collaborative relationships and the empowerment of local social action networks. However, it is noted that sustainable development is not yet seen as an operative concept by the stakeholders involved.