The Second Vice President and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced this Tuesday the creation of “the first hub Avant-garde of the social economy”, a study center for innovation and the promotion of successful projects of this type of economy with a sustainable and supportive approach.
The initiative was approved in the Council of Ministers this Tuesday, as one of the measures of the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation (PERTE) of the social and care economy, for which “1.5 million euros” have been allocated.
The Vice President announced the location of the hubin the city of Donosti, before the executive committee of the Spanish Conference of Social Economy Enterprises (CEPES).
The Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the City Council of Donostia, the Confederation of Cooperatives of Euskadi, the Higher Council of Cooperatives of Euskadi and the University of Mondragón have also been involved in the project, leading the rest of the universities in the project. In Euskadi is the headquarters of the Mondragón Corporation, the largest industrial cooperative in the world.
“Today is a very important day for the Spanish social economy,” said Yolanda Díaz, who affirmed that the Basque city will host “the world reference of the social economy.”
Evaluation of public policies and network for businesses
The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy intends to make the study center a laboratory for successful initiatives in the social economy, which promote this type of business with “more resilient employment” and which often act as an economic engine in “areas affected by depopulation.”
Díaz recalled that the social economy represents 10% of the GDP and generates more than 2 million jobs, direct and indirect. The vice president recognized this “sustainable economic fabric anchored in the territory, which is also more feminist and inclusive.”
“Public social economy policies will be evaluated and their role in reducing inequalities and creating a more inclusive labor market will be studied,” the ministry said.
The hub also aims to be “a knowledge exchange network that will connect businesses, institutions, social organizations and academia,” with the aim of disseminating best practices.
From CEPES, which brings together the vast majority of the 43,000 companies that make up the Spanish social economy sector, “this investment will be channelled,” explains the ministry.
