Although the conceptual emergence of social innovation and its association with different applications trace back to the 18th century, awareness and interest in social innovation have increased in recent years. The main motivation for realizing innovations in different fields has generally been linked to economic goals. Although innovation is the driving force of economic growth and productivity increase, it is clear today that for a real contribution to welfare to occur, economic growth must be accompanied by social progress.

Considering the global problems we face today; it can be seen that the first things that come to mind, such as global warming and climate change, migration, poverty, unemployment, aging population, inequality of opportunity in education, digital addiction, security vulnerabilities, health problems, environmental pollution, energy efficiency issues, etc., are of both economic and social nature. The global economic and health crises we have recently overcome remind us of the importance of mobilizing science, technology, and innovation not only to generate economic benefits but also to anticipate and respond to social problems.

The OECD (2000) presented the first definition related to social innovation:

One of the most comprehensive and highly cited definitions of social innovation was given by Phills, Deiglmeier, and Miller (2008) in their study titled "Rediscovering Social Innovation":

How did social innovation become one of the popular concepts of the 21st century?

Prominent turning points that were effective:

• With the launch of the Stanford Social Innovation Review magazine in 2003, the concept of social innovation began to gain depth in academic circles.
• Founded first in London in 2005, the Impact Hub fostered organization around the concept by creating a global community model for social innovation efforts.
• Muhammad Yunus winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 with his microfinance project Grameen Bank enabled social innovation to be discussed on a global scale.
• The 2008 global economic crisis led to discussions on the inadequacy of traditional economic models and the social state approach, prompting the search for new solutions for social welfare.
• The establishment of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation within the White House in 2009 under the leadership of US President Barack Obama demonstrated the transformation of social innovation into a strategy.
• With the European Commission launching the European Social Innovation Competition in 2011, social innovation was placed at the center of the European Union's employment and social inclusion policies.

The transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 has taken social innovation out of being an option and turned it into an industrial necessity. While Industry 4.0 focuses on efficiency and automation, Industry 5.0 shifts the focus back to humans, emphasizing the necessity of social innovation within the framework of the following core concepts: