CONCORDIA

This research group develops theoretical and applied research articulated around three fields of study: private sector, social innovation and public policies. Although the research carried out focuses on economics, the projects and collaborations are interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary in nature. It collaborates regularly with scientific associations such as CIRIEC, with university research institutes such as IUDESCOOP, with public administrations such as the European Economic and Social Committee and the Spanish Ministry of Labour, and with business associations and social entities such as the Spanish Third Sector Platform, CEPES and Social Economy Europe. It carries out five scientific and technical activities: Basic research based on the development of knowledge on Social Economy, Third Sector, Cooperativism, Social Enterprises, Common Good and Collaborative Economy. It contributes to the development of theoretical constructions that explain the logic of these private phenomena of a markedly social nature. Basic research on social innovation deployed from civil society and from territorial innovation and production systems. Special attention is given to territorial innovation systems based on cooperative unions, such as as the Mondragon group of cooperatives and the agricultural cooperative group Anecoop. Research on public socio-labour policies with a special focus on budgetary policies and those aimed at cooperatives and the third social sector. Economic policy measures, support structures, new regulatory measures linked to the deployment of social welfare services such as social clauses, social policy aimed at social, cultural and sport NGOs (associations and foundations) are analysed. Finally, policies aimed at cooperatives, worker-owned companies and other social entities such as Special Employment Centres and Insertion Companies are evaluated from an economic perspective. The comparison is made from a multi-level perspective (regional, state and EU). Research training of young researchers in social sciences and economics, through the official doctoral programme in social economy belonging to the research institute IUDESCOOP of the Universitat de València, in which the members of this group are particularly active, even assuming the coordination of the programme. Collaboration with other young researchers from the rest of Spain and abroad by dynamising the REJIES network - of young researchers in social economy. Promotion of strategic resources linked to research in social economy, economics and social sciences, actively participating in the development of scientific journals in their edition/coordination, in the management of a documentation centre specialised in social economy and social sciences such as the CIDEC of the Universitat de València and in the systematised articulation of a network of inter-university research groups throughout Spain through the RedEnuies network, which includes 21 centres, company chairs and university institutes of each university. The research and research advocacy activity of the members of this group has a history of more than 25 years.