Diogo Vasconcelos was a Portuguese leader who focused on fostering innovation to address some of the great societal challenges of our time.

During his career he worked closely with the European Commission and others on issues such as globalisation, sustainability and climate change, urbanisation, democratic participation, public services and healthcare.

Diogo was chairman of the Social Innovation Exchange and also launched the Entrepreneurs Academy among other accomplishments. He passed away in July 2011 at the age of 43. 

To keep Diogo’s ambitions alive, the European Commission established the European Social Innovation Competition to inspire entrepreneurs across the continent to continue developing ideas that tackle the challenges our society faces.

Now in its 8th year, the Competition acts as a beacon for social innovators in Europe, employing a proven methodology for supporting early-stage ideas and facilitating a network of radical innovators shaping our society for the better. Each year the Competition is based around a different issue facing Europe.