The ecosystem of social innovation – A Multiple Case Study of Developmental Service for youth with disabilities

This paper explores how social innovation emerges within Public Service Ecosystems (PSEs) through a multiple case study of seven Services for Autonomy (SFA) for youth with disabilities in Lombardy, Italy. Adopting a service ecosystem perspective, the study explores social innovation as a process of value co-creation across individual, organizational, and institutional levels. The findings show that innovation stems from interactions among users, caregivers, professionals, and evolves through inter-organizational collaboration. While institutional frameworks can both support and constrain innovation, adaptive governance and learning facilitated regulatory change, enhanced flexibility and the plasticity of PSEs.