Social Innovation and Empowerment in Colombian Companies Through Design Management

Abstract

Colombian society and its SMEs have evolved in the last decade in a remarkable way according to the rest of Latin America countries. Companies needs entrepreneurship models that reflect users´ needs through new products and services, especially if it have a social function that affects them directly or their community. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia created in 2009 the Program of Productive Transformation, PTP where it offers training and technical assistance programs to companies. In its last report point out among other things, the need to apply criteria of social and environmental responsibility in companies. Thanks to the work developed with the Ministry, the Colombian Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, the Institute of sustainable entrepreneurship at EAN University and the Polytechnic University of Valencia has worked on a new model of comprehensive tutoring for the management of design and innovation called double hexagon that has been adapted to the needs of SMEs in Colombia with success. Results obtained with model implementation have made it possible to discover the importance of collaborative empowerment of workers through training and sustainable implementation in design projects and services based on social innovation. Keywords: Social innovation, empowerment, design management, Design Thinking, MIPYME, Colombia.