Digital Educational Innovation in the Social Economy: A Configurational Analysis Using the Technological Innovation Systems Framework

Background: Although digitalisation delivers business-level benefits and higher education institutions (HEIs) are expected to advance the digital social economy (SE), many universities still lack coherent digital transformation strategies. Consequently, SE curricula do not integrate digital tools and competences adequately, thus limiting the graduates’ ability to address complex social challenges. Research objectives: This study examined how digital competences are integrated into SE education not merely instrumentally but as a substantive learning domain. It asked: (a) how SE initiatives teach digital and technological innovation and (b) what system functions enable the development and scaling of such innovations. Research design and methods: Using the technological innovation systems framework, the study involved a configurational analysis of eight cases of SE education in four European countries. Results: Three clusters emerge, namely civic platforms, institutional living labs, and lifelong learning initiatives, which reflect distinct constellations of enabling conditions shaped by institutional density, funding logics, and regional disparities. Conclusions: The findings challenge universal models of digital SE education, underscoring the need for context-sensitive and pluralistic implementation strategies.