초록 ▼

I. 문제의 제기

□ 지속가능한 발전과 사회통합 수단으로서 사회적기업에 대한 관심 증대
◦ 사회적기업은 경제적 가치와 사회적 가치를 동시에 추구하여 사회서비스를 혁신하고 취약계층 고용을 창출하는 주체
◦ 2007년 정부의 사회적기업 인증 작업이 실시된 이후 약 700여개의 사회적기업과 1500여개의 예비사회적기업이 활동
◦ 사회적기업 정책이 고용노동부를 넘어 다양한 부처로 확산
- 고용노동부, 문화관광부, 행정안전부, 환경부, 교육과학기술부, 지자체에서 사회적기업을 육성하기 위한 정책 시행
<

I. 문제의 제기

□ 지속가능한 발전과 사회통합 수단으로서 사회적기업에 대한 관심 증대
◦ 사회적기업은 경제적 가치와 사회적 가치를 동시에 추구하여 사회서비스를 혁신하고 취약계층 고용을 창출하는 주체
◦ 2007년 정부의 사회적기업 인증 작업이 실시된 이후 약 700여개의 사회적기업과 1500여개의 예비사회적기업이 활동
◦ 사회적기업 정책이 고용노동부를 넘어 다양한 부처로 확산
- 고용노동부, 문화관광부, 행정안전부, 환경부, 교육과학기술부, 지자체에서 사회적기업을 육성하기 위한 정책 시행

□ 그러나 사회적기업의 자생력과 지속가능성이 상당히 취약
◦ 인건비 지원과 같은 직접적 지원정책을 통해 양적 확대에는 성공했으나 기업으로서 자생력ㆍ혁신능력 확보는 미흡

□ 사회적기업의 자생력과 지속가능성을 높이기 위해서는 사회적기업과 과학기술의 융합을 통한 기술집약화가 필요
◦ 기술집약화를 통해 사회적기업의 노동생산성을 향상시키고 품질경쟁력 제고
◦ 기술과 결합된 사회서비스를 제공하여 사회서비스 고도화

□ 또한 사회적기업의 기술집약화는 과학기술의 사회문제 해결 능력을 향상시키는 중요한 수단이 될 수 있음
◦ 기술집약형 사회적기업은 사회문제 해결을 위한 사회적 혁신체제(Societal Innovation System)의 발전을 주도하는 핵심 주체
◦ 기술집약형 사회적기업은 사회문제 해결형 연구개발활동과 사회서비스를 연결시킬 수 있는 조직

□ 이 보고서에서는 기술집약형 사회적기업의 가능성을 점검하고 사회적기업의 기술집약화를 위한 정책방안을 제시함

Abstract ▼

Interests in social enterprises are on the rise as they are viewed as a useful vehicle for sustainable development and social integration. A social enterprise can be defined as a company whose first priority is to seek for social objectives. Instead of pursuing maximum profits of shareholders or bus

Interests in social enterprises are on the rise as they are viewed as a useful vehicle for sustainable development and social integration. A social enterprise can be defined as a company whose first priority is to seek for social objectives. Instead of pursuing maximum profits of shareholders or business owners, social enterprises use their profits for reinvesting in the society for the purpose of achieving social objectives. Therefore, social enterprises can be understood as agents who lead innovation in social services and create jobs for the less privileged class by seeking for economic and social values simultaneously.

Social enterprises, however, have limitations as their self-supporting capabilities and sustainability are still in a quite vulnerable state. In recent years, the Korean government has been successful in expanding the quantitative support for social enterprises through direct support policies such as subsidizing labor costs of social enterprises, but the government support has not been catered to promote self-supporting power and innovative capabilities of social enterprises. On top of that, the less satisfactory business performance and weak self-supporting capabilities of social enterprises are amplifying concerns over the sustainability of social enterprises when the provision of government subsidies is terminated.

Given the situation, in order to promote self-supporting capabilities and sustainability of social enterprises, it is necessary to increase their technological intensiveness through the merge of science and technology with these vulnerable social enterprises. Since heightened technological intensiveness of social enterprises will become a key driving force for improving the capability of science and technology in solving social issues, technological intensiveness is deemed appropriate as an effective vehicle for sustainable development and social integration.

In this context, this paper reviews the potential of technology-based social enterprises and presents policy recommendations that can help promote technological intensiveness of social enterprises. For this purpose, this paper is organized as follows. Chapter 1 explores the needs for social enterprises. In Chapter 2, the current situation and issues of social enterprises are reviewed. Chapter 3 explains the definition, characteristics, and types of technology-based social enterprises. Lastly in Chapter 4, specific measures for promoting technology-based social enterprises are discussed.

This paper presents a three-staged approach in promoting technology-based social enterprises. During the first step of identifying issues and discovering ideas, this study proposes; i) field-oriented research and analysis of social issues, ii) building a platform for social innovation, iii) operation of social technology development and management programs, and iv) implementation of ‘Citizen Lab Project’.

For the second stage which is R&D stage, the following ideas can be explored; i) operation of R&D programs for solving social issues, ii) implementing a social innovation model development project, iii) establishment of research center(s) specialized in social innovation, iv) building a support system for social enterprises at public research institutes, and v) operation of technology support programs participated by large conglomerates.

As ideas for the last stage of verification and commercialization, this study proposes; i) implementation of ‘Social Innovation Living Lab Project’, ii) operating joint programs linking social and industrial innovation, iii) offering technologies appropriate for the late-comer countries through social enterprises, iv) implementation of ‘Social Innovation Cluster Project’, and v) strengthening links between regional innovation projects and social enterprises.

Adding a new perspective to the traditional innovation policy that has long been focused on promoting economic growth and competitiveness, this study will help refine the contents and future direction of science, technology and innovation policies. In relation to the on-going discussions in the field of social policy on the role of social enterprises and their development, this study presents a new social enterprise model, a technology-based social enterprise, as an alternative for existing social enterprises driven by simple social services. In this regard, this study will ultimately help upgrade policies to promote social enterprises in Korea.