RT Journal Article
T1 Beyond the Project Cycle: Relational Sustainability in Transdisciplinary Social Innovation in Social Services
A1 Anillo Pérez, Luna del Alba
A1 Ferri Fuentevilla, Elena
A1 Fernández Borrero, Manuela Ángela
A1 Martí  García, Susana
K1 Transdisciplinarity
K1 Sustainability
K1 Knowledge co-production
K1 Social innovation
K1 Social services
K1 Community social services
AB Transdisciplinarity and the co-production of knowledge have become fundamental approaches to addressing complex social problems. However, the sustainability of collaborative partnerships remains underexplored from an empirical perspective. This article examines the mechanisms that shape the continuity of collaborative networks in social innovation projects in the field of social services, particularly those linked to community-based welfare systems in Andalusia (Spain). Drawing on a thematic qualitative analysis of 15 social innovation projects and 14 semi-structured interviews with project coordinators, the study explores how diverse actors (universities, public administrations, third-sector organisations, and citizens) mobilise different types of social capital within local social services. The findings reveal that collaboration success depends on a balance between relational enablers (trust and shared experiences) and structural barriers (bureaucracy, work overload, and lack of time). The analysis also shows that participatory methodologies and connections with pre-existing networks are essential for sustaining collaboration after project completion. The article concludes that the sustainability of transdisciplinary social innovation in social services requires moving beyond project management logics and investing in the care of invisible relational structures, with implications for public policies aimed at consolidating trust ecosystems and long-term collective learning.
PB MDPI
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28166
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28166
LA eng
NO Anillo Pérez, L. d. A., Ferri Fuentevilla, M. E., Fernández-Borrero, M. Á., & Martí García, S. (2026). Beyond the Project Cycle: Relational Sustainability in Transdisciplinary Social Innovation in Social Services. Social Sciences, 15(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020074
NO This research was funded by Consejería de Inclusión Social, Juventud, Familias e Igualdad, grant number (SSCC)542-2024-00000064-1. The APC was funded by the same funder.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026