The Unit for Social Innovation and Research – Shipyard is a new organization but it was created as a result of attempts of persons connected with the Polish non-governmental sector for many years.

It was created with the aim of critical and reliable description of challenges of social life in Poland and  searching and promoting effective, innovative methods of reacting to them based on civic participation. It also sets itself a target of formation and intellectual development of persons from different environments, ready to engage in public affairs in a way going beyond individual interests.

What is especially important in actions run by the Shipyard is reinforcement of co-operation between two environments: researchers-scientists and civil activists working also in non-governmental organizations. 

Actions taken by the Shipyard will concentrate on three key issues: development of local communities, social innovations and civic participation. The Shipyard wants to be helpful in building and supplementing knowledge on social dimensions of local activity and local development. It also wants to be a place of discussion on the importance, nature and conditions favourable for development of social innovations. Its ambition is also to became one of the initiators of wider reflection on the essence and methods of civic participation.