The need for a transition to sustainable food systems is widely recognised. Over the last three decades, movements have been demanding and proposing a radical transformation, foregrounding the social values of food. Experiences inspired by solidarity economy have given rise to highly innovative pathways, grounded on the redefinition of the food-related values and practices and the reconstruction of local, community-based food systems by referring to social and ecological sustainability. One can usefully draw from these experiences for identifying challenges, opportunities and benefits and for analysing the most effective modes of action leading to the creation of alternatives. Capturing and supporting this innovation is particularly important when looking at the opportunities offered by local food policies. This significantly involves the meanings, goals and forms that food governance takes on. The paper aims at investigating these aspects, reading the initiatives inspired by SE principles as an example of social innovation. Their engagement in re-signifying food in terms of “commons” and in “commoning” food systems constitutes a complementary key of analysis. Focusing on the Italian context, the paper draws on many years of qualitative research and direct involvement in these initiatives. The analysis provides useful insights about the potential for change existing in society and invites us to develop reflexivity on how local food policies capture the opportunity for a re-politicisation of food-related issues.

Tourism is often considered the world’s biggest industry, as it contributes approximately 10% of the global GDP. Despite this economic impact, tourism also includes important critical issues like territorial inequalities, diminishment of local engagement, and has high environmental and cultural impacts. This study investigates the rise of “walking trail tourism”, a niche sector where the respect for local communities and the environmental sustainability are particularly important. The focus is on Italy and Argentina: two countries with very different political, tourism, and biophysical backgrounds, but with the common recent development of walking trails and forms of social innovation. This study explores three main questions: the trends in walking trail tourism, the role of these trails in fostering local social innovation, and the influence of national policies in this domain. The study combines historical-statistical analysis, political–legislative review, and interviews with experts in order to assess all these aspects. Findings reveal significant social innovation trends within walking trail tourism but also challenges in territorial coordination and the establishment of national governance. Italy and Argentina are both characterized by an opposite situation regarding walking trails: there are several local initiatives but a lack of national guidelines in the former, and some good national policies but few bottom-up initiatives in the latter.

This study explores the intersection of social innovation, universities, and territorial dynamics, focusing on how these elements foster the development of social innovation hubs, specifically university incubators. Addressing gaps in existing literature, the research examines the institutional configurations, power relations, and strategies that support these processes, with a particular emphasis on the mutual relationship between social innovation and spatialisation processes. The research involved a comparative analysis of university incubators in Brazil, Argentina, and Italy, regions with significant yet distinct experiences of social innovation environments. Quantitative research analyzed 186 incubators in Brazil, 91 in Argentina, and 197 in Italy, followed by qualitative case studies of five incubators (two each in Brazil and Argentina, and one in Italy) deemed particularly relevant. The study employed qualitative methods, including biographical reconstructions of innovators and assessments of incubation approaches, to identify governance models of social incubators. Key findings reveal that in Latin American contexts, social incubators emerged as responses to economic crises, initially fostering grassroots solidarity and later serving as mechanisms for job creation and economic regeneration. The Brazilian and Argentinian incubators demonstrated a participatory and circular governance model, aligning with the Open Innovation paradigm, while the Italian case displayed a more unidirectional approach from university to territory. All the analyzed cases highlighted the critical role of universities in weaving relational networks among diverse actors, including educators, students, technicians, local businesses, artisans, and marginalized community members. This aligns with an infrastructuring approach that transcends traditional stakeholder frameworks, fostering ecosystem-based incubation to promote social and territorial innovation. The Latin American experiences were particularly notable for engaging traditionally marginalized actors through participatory methodologies, confirming the efficacy of quadruple and quintuple helix models in transforming social relations. Despite these advancements, the Italian case struggled to empower local actors fully, reflecting challenges in achieving capability-building—a key element in social innovation. The study identifies specific capabilities required to involve territorial actors in the quintuple helix model and emphasizes the importance of participatory, inclusive, and collaborative governance in transforming social relations to achieve economic, psychological, social, and political empowerment. While offering valuable insights into university-led social incubators, the study calls for further exploration of diverse forms of social innovation hubs across broader contexts and countries.

University social incubators have been emerging as relevant instruments within the Third Mission of higher education institutions, as they contribute not only to entrepreneurship and innovation but also to the promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). While the literature on technological and business incubators is extensive, limited attention has been devoted to university social incubators and their role in strengthening SSE initiatives. This article presents partial results of a broader international research project, focusing specifically on the survey data collected in Argentina and Brazil. The comparative analysis highlights that, in both countries, university social incubators are more numerous than in many European contexts. In Brazil, the institutionalization of public programs such as PRONINC and ITCP has enabled universities to consolidate their engagement with SSE, while in Argentina experiences are more fragmented and less supported by stable policy frameworks. The findings show that university social incubators play a distinctive role in supporting cooperative projects, social enterprises, and community-based initiatives. They act as bridges between universities and local territories, fostering inclusive and sustainable development. Finally, the article discusses the managerial implications for incubator managers, universities, and SSE actors, as well as policy recommendations for decision-makers seeking to integrate SSE into innovation and development strategies. In doing so, the study contributes to the international debate on university incubators by moving beyond technology-oriented models and emphasizing their social transformative potential.