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for the social economy
Research, training and consulting regarding cooperative and social enterprises and other nonprofit organisations
Latest News
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17th Workshop on Cooperative and Responsible Finance for Development: the programme is now available
From Ecuador to Trento: fifth study visit on the social economy and cooperative credit
EURICSE and Cooperazione Trentina: joint initiatives to support the cooperative economy
From Ecuador to Trento: fourth study visit on the social economy and cooperative credit
The Strength of Institutional and Organisational Diversity: The Future of JEOD According to Massimiliano Vatiero
17th International Workshop on Cooperative and Responsible Finance for Development: Call for Papers
ILO’s Technical Working Groups on Cooperative and Social and Solidarity Economy Statistics
Giulia Galera at the Spring School in Vienna: the social economy as an engine for development in Europe
ILO’s Technical Working Groups on Cooperative and Social and Solidarity Economy Statistics
Last call for the 16th International Workshop on Cooperative and Responsible Finance for Development
EURICSE and CIRIEC present the new report on the Social Economy in the EU on 7 February in Brussels
In Trento the 9th edition of the Summer School of the international research network EMES
Momentum Project, a two year path across five countries towards the empowerment of migrant and refugee women
15th International Workshop on Cooperative and Responsible Finance for Development – Call for papers
Euricse presents the 14th International Workshop on Cooperative and Responsible Finance for Development
World Cooperative Monitor 2022 Top 300 ranking released with a focus on the new challenge of digitalization
SOCIAL ECONOMY IN ITALY
Explore the panorama of organisations that make up the social economy, an increasingly relevant sector that combines value creation and social engagement, producing goods and services of common interest by putting people and the community at the centre rather than profit. Find out how many workers are involved and the occupational weight of these realities, with interactive charts offering a detailed analysis by sector and region.
398 612
ORGANISATIONS (2022)
1 529 185
EMPLOYEES (2022)
4 661 269
VOLUNTEERS (2021)
Recent Publications
See all publicationsSolidarity shops in Italy: more than just food distribution
This report stems from the research project “Enterprising communities in search of practices for social transformation”, promoted by EURICSE, the first phase of which involved the creation of a continuously updated national map of the various initiatives by enterprising communities in Italy, including solidarity shops. This term…
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Comparative report on WISEs
This report produced by the WISESHIFT Horizon project with EURICSE as a partner, analyzes Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) in the European Union and Serbia.t compares legal frameworks, organizational models, and recent developments, aiming to understand how these enterprises support more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic systems.
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WP 139 | 26 ESG Implementation and governance boundaries in cooperatives: a cross-sector managerial perspective
Cooperatives are frequently presumed to align with sustainability due to their democratic governance and community focus, yet empirical evidence on their implementation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards remains fragmented. This article analyzes ESG practices across six cooperative sectors—agriculture, finance, housing, consumer/retail, utilities, and worker/platform cooperatives—using comparative document analysis,…
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Socially useful work and labour inclusion. Analysis the effects of Interventions 3.3.C and 3.3.D
This study examines the effects of Measures 3.3.C and 3.3.D of the Labour Policy Document of the 16th Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Trento, highlighting an integrated and complementary system of labour and social inclusion policies capable of delivering positive outcomes in terms of employment, skills and well-being, whilst acknowledging that there is still room for improvement.
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Competences Assessment and Gap Analysis Report
This report — prepared by EURICSE within the SEED2SCALE project — contributes to a collaborative European effort to strengthen National Competence Centers for Social Innovation (NCCs) in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Slovenia. The project aims to support the development of sustainable and mature NCCs capable of…
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The contribution of community-led social economy intiatives to local development in rural areas
This report, developed within the framework of the ESIRA – Enhancing Social Innovation in Rural Areas project (Horizon Europe), examines the role of community-led social economy initiatives in addressing the key challenges faced by rural territories across Europe.
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Social economy 2025. Evidence, challenges and trajectories for Italy
This volume is the result of a collective effort by scholars and experts and offers an in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the role of the social economy in Italy and Europe, highlighting its contribution to sustainable development, employment, rural areas, welfare and public policy.
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The fundamentals of economic pluralism
Real economic systems consist of a plurality of enterprise forms that differ in ownership, governance, and objectives beyond profit maximisation, and this volume, drawing on Carlo Borzaga’s research, examines their characteristics, determinants, and economic and social impacts, with a particular focus on cooperatives, mutual societies, and social enterprises and their future prospects.
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WP 138 | 25 Mapping Platform Cooperatives: Identities, Dimensions and Challenges
The paper offers the first empirical overview of platform cooperatives and identifies their main features and four key challenges: legal, financial, governance, and market-related.
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World Cooperative Monitor 2025
The World Cooperative Monitor 2025, produced by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in collaboration with Euricse, provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the global cooperative movement. It analyzes the 300 largest cooperatives and mutuals in the world, highlighting their contribution to building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economies. Now…
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Increasing market orientation of social cooperatives in Italy
The report analyzes the growing marketization of social services in Italy, as social cooperatives increasingly shift from publicly commissioned services to the direct sale of services to private clients, a response to declining public spending, the dynamics of public procurement, and the need to diversify revenue sources.
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WP 137 | 25 Geography of social enterprises in cultural and creative industries in Italy
This study investigates the spatial distribution of cultural and creative social enterprises (CCSE) in Italy, using firm-level and third sector data. It analyses geographical patterns through statistical methods and regression models to identify socio-economic determinants.
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EURICSE CAN SUPPORT YOU IF YOU WORK...
In research or accademia
- You can have access to data collected by the Institute, as well as reports and publications on the social economy.
- You can be a visiting scholar.
- You can publish your work with Euricse in our scientific journal JEOD or in our working paper series.
- You can collaborate in theoretical and applied research projects.
- You can find support in training and in local and European projects.
In the social economy
- You can find materials and documents that may interest you.
- You can increase your skills through our training courses.
- You can find updates and strategic and policy advice to manage your organization and improve efficiency and outcomes.
- You can find support for your social reporting needs.
- You can join the MasterGIS community, a solid and broad network of companies and trained alumni.
In Public Administration
- You can find studies on the relationship between Public Administration and the Third Sector.
- You can find local, national and European policy analysis.
- You can find strategic consulting and a multidisciplinary approach.
- You can find training and support on co-design and co-programming.
- You can compare best practices in the sector on an international scale.
If you are interested in our topics
- You can find information about what is happening around the social economy.
- You can explore training opportunities.
- You can download Research Reports, Working Papers and our publications.
- You can keep up to date with our news.
- You can subscribe to our newsletter.
- You can get in touch with us…
Featured
JEOD
The Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity (JEOD) is Euricse's scientific journal. JEOD is indexed in Scopus since 2021.
Go to the official website
The Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity (JEOD) is Euricse's scientific journal. JEOD is indexed in Scopus since 2021.
SIBEC
The Italian School for the Management of Common Goods promoted by Euricse, Labsus and the University of Trento and its educational opportunities.
Go to the official website
The Italian School for the Management of Common Goods promoted by Euricse, Labsus and the University of Trento and its educational opportunities.
WORLD COOPERATIVE MONITOR
The annual global research report on cooperatives produced by the International Cooperative Alliance with the scientific support of Euricse.
Go to the official website
The annual global research report on cooperatives produced by the International Cooperative Alliance with the scientific support of Euricse.
STORIES.COOP
Stories of cooperatives told independently. A Euricse and ICA project.
Go to the official website
Stories of cooperatives told independently. A Euricse and ICA project.
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