Impact finance and social innovation: theoretical context and areas of application

The Webinar is organized by Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with:  Social Impact Agenda, Fonduri-Structurale.

In today’s world, finance is increasingly focusing on impact generation and sustainability in varying degrees of integrity. In the European context, regulations are being put in place to exclude entities that do not strictly interpret sustainable value generation. This webinar aims to delve into and illustrate the various strategic approaches of finance towards sustainability, the pillars of impact finance, the regulatory aspects involving actors within the finance world, and the application contexts and business models that best align with capital supply and demand. Through the insights and experiences of practitioners and researchers in this area, we will explore the theoretical and regulatory context of impact finance and frame it from a policy perspective. Additionally, we will examine the prospects for development and the link between social innovation and impact finance. We will also learn about various financial instruments, such as crowdfunding, and explore application areas, such as social housing. The webinar aims to explore the nuances of impact finance and sustainability and to better understand how finance can align with social impact generation.

Draft Agenda:

• A theoretical introduction – Leonardo Boni, Politecnico di Milano
• Perspectives on impact finance: finance and Social Innovation in European policies – Chiara Buongiovanni, Social Impact Agenda
• An example of a financial instrument: the crowdfunding – Raluca Prelucă, Fonduri-Structurale