InfoNet has contributed to social innovation in Europe in a number of domains. However, in Portugal its most prominent achievement was the widespread Recognition of Competences as a central part of Adult Education.

Given the difficulty generally encountered in the adoption of new methodologies and techniques relating to adult education, there has in the last 5 years in EU member states and countries with which organised cooperation is in place been clear progress with regard to the acceptance of Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competences at the European level. Infonet has made a significant contribution to this process of change, and given visibility to the Recognition of Competences at the European level. The shift from traditional lessons to a personalised approach centred not on the transmission of knowledge but rather on competences acquired over the course of a lifetime implies a major change in learning systems and dominant mentalities. To persuade political and institutional decision-makers and actors on the ground of the value of this new platform for interaction with adults, there is nothing better than providing, disseminating and promoting practical cases illustrating how the process works and demonstrating by means of palpable results the effectiveness and efficiency of this option, comparing it with others.

In this regard, the various articles, interviews and other forms of dissemination of the conferences and events held in recent years, in the formats used by InfoNet such as its Infoletter and website, have become indispensable, and constitute capital which is of great value to all parties interested in the informal and non-formal aspects of adult education.

In short, the contribution of InfoNet to social innovation at the European level is worthy of note, and particularly valued in Portugal, a country which has made a significant investment in these open and much-used systems over the last decade.

Carlos Ribeiro