Episode Summary
The Interterritorial Cooperation Project “Development of Cooperativism” focuses on developing cooperative entrepreneurship in rural areas and, more broadly, on promoting the Social Economy and social innovation through the creation of local ecosystems of mutually supportive organisations.
The project was implemented within the framework of CLLD/LEADER — Community-Led Local Development and involved 11 Local Action Groups from across Greece, covering Achaia, Drama, the Dodecanese, Epirus, Thessaloniki, Karditsa, Parnassos, Parnonas, Rhodope and Trikala. The Development Agency of Karditsa S.A. (ANKA) acted as the coordinating partner.
In the intervention area of the local CLLD/LEADER programme, covering the Municipalities of Lagkadas and Volvi and parts of the Municipalities of Oreokastro, Thermi, Thermaikos and Pylaia–Chortiatis in the Thessaloniki Regional Unit, the Development Agency of Thessaloniki S.A. – Organisation for Local Development (ANETH), in cooperation with the People’s University of Social and Solidarity Economy “UnivSSE Coop,” implemented actions aimed at developing and strengthening local Cooperation Ecosystems.
These actions sought to strengthen cooperation and networking among the actors and members of the ecosystems, as well as between the ecosystems and other local organisations, while encouraging the exchange of knowledge, experience and networking opportunities.
More specifically, the following activities were implemented:
- Mapping and recording stakeholders and potential participants who could become members of the local ecosystem
- Consultation based on the priorities of the local development strategy and the specific characteristics of the area
- Living labs for identifying capacities and opportunities and jointly planning actions
- A targeted advisory process
- An event at which participants presented their projects, products or services
- An ideas competition, or hackathon
- Public presentation and promotion of good practices
These activities promoted the creation of cooperative schemes through consultation meetings in which the participating organisations adopted a bottom-up approach to discuss, design and propose solutions for strengthening cooperative entrepreneurship, creating quality and decent employment, and developing social innovation in the rural areas of the Thessaloniki Regional Unit.
Watch the video here.
Video Contents:
- Initiatives by the Development Agency of Thessaloniki S.A. – Organisation for Local Development (ANETH) to Promote Cooperative Development in the Programme Area
Evangelia Kanaki, Agronomist, MSc, Officer of the ANETH Local Action Group - The CLLD/LEADER Interterritorial Cooperation Project “Development of Cooperativism”
Vasilis Bellis, former General Director of the Development Agency of Karditsa S.A. (ANKA) - Legal Forms in the Social Economy: Building the Future of Social Entrepreneurship
Dr Ifigeneia Douvitsa, Tutor-Counsellor in Social and Solidarity Economy at the Hellenic Open University - Social Innovation and the Social Economy: Current Situation, Challenges and Prospects at Local and Regional Level
Dr Yiorgos Alexopoulos, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Agricultural University of Athens - Methodology for Implementing the Local “Development of Cooperativism” Activities in Rural Thessaloniki
Dr Kostas Nikolaou, Chair of the Board of the People’s University of Social and Solidarity Economy “UnivSSE Coop”
