Română Urtzi Uribetxebarria Andres, Mondragon University: skills & trainings in the social economy sector
Urtzi Uribetxebarria Andres is Research Professor of the Dept.of Mechanics and Industrial Organization of Mondragon Unibertsitatea with Project Management Professional (PMP) ® MONDRAGON and baSE Project manager. He was one the speakers at the Enterprising for Tomorrow conference.
Ideas and Insights from Urtzi Uribetxebarria Andres speech
European Social Economy Impact: The project leader highlighted that there are approximately 3 million social economy enterprises in Europe employing around 14 million people, which represents between 8-10% of the European Union’s GDP. This emphasizes the significant impact of the social economy on the European economy.
baSE Project Objectives: The baSE project aims to reinforce the capacities of the social economy and its human capital in key areas. This involves addressing skill mismatches and providing reskilling and upskilling opportunities for social economy practitioners. The project involves 25 partners from 10 European countries, including Romania and Spain. These partners comprise country-level social economy actors, vocational educational training providers, and higher education institutions.
Innovative Curricula Development: One of the main outcomes expected from the baSE project is the creation of an innovative and modernized curriculum in the social economy ecosystem. This aims to improve the professionalism, capacity, and competitiveness of social economy workers, thereby enhancing their employability, mobility, and professional development.
Modernizing Vocational Training: The project also focuses on modernizing vocational educational training and higher education to be more responsive to industry needs. This involves directly addressing the needs of social economy workers and ensuring that the training provided aligns with these needs.
Triple Transition Framework: The speaker introduced the concept of the “triple transition,” which includes green, digital, and fair and inclusive transitions. This holistic view addresses environmental, technological, and social dimensions, reinforcing the mission of social economy organizations. The triple transition forms the core of the social competence framework, which aims to provide a comprehensive development path for individuals and organizations within the social economy ecosystem.
“The triple transition forms a holistic view that addresses environmental, technological, and social dimensions, thereby reinforcing the core mission of the social economy organizations.”
Urtzi Uribetxebarria Andres, Research Professor at Mondragon Unibertsitatea, baSE Project manager.
Yesterday we were visiting your facilities, your organizations, and it’s really amazing the job you are doing here in Romania in terms of developing the social economic ecosystem.
Urtzi Uribetxebarria Andres, during the visit at ADV Romania social enterprises
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Enterprising for Tomorrow 2024 retrospective: Nearly 1,000 participants at the European social economy event
The event took place in Iasi, Romania and brought together European leaders in the social economy, representatives of the European Commission and OECD, the Romanian Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, social entrepreneurs, traditional entrepreneurs and private sector representatives, national and local authorities, highlighting the most important issues in this sector.
The third edition of the European Social Economy Conference “Enterprising for Tomorrow”, organised by the ADV Romania, enjoyed a record attendance this year. Nearly 1,000 people took part in the event, both physically and online. The conference took place over a full day and included several side events: Buy Social Expo, Award Gala, a Business Matching Event and the conference itself, including five panel discussions.
36 speakes at the Enterprising for Tomorrow 2024
The five panels of the conference brought together speakers from all over Europe, leading names in the social economy. The opening address was given by Nicholas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights.
“The momentum we have started with our Social Economy Action Plan in December ’21 continues to this day. The Action Plan consists of an ambitious set of 60 concrete initiatives covering all aspects of the ecosystem. In June ’23 the Commission adopted a proposal for Council recommendation on developing social economy Frameworks to which the council gave its green light in November 2023. Member states must now create strategies with the political commitment and resources needed for the social economy to thrive.”
Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
During the panel discussions, topics such as European trends and the European Social Economy Action Plan, the role of European and national networks in the development of the sector, digitisation and human resource development in the social economy sector and social financing solutions were touched upon.
“We are glad that, for the third time, we have managed to bring together in Iasi the most important national and European leaders of the social economy sector and put this field in the spotlight. As an organisation that has been active in this sector for over 23 years, we can say that the social economy has become increasingly visible, but new policies and instruments to support the social economy need to be developed to accelerate its development. We are very pleased that Minister Simona Bucura – Oprescu, present at the event, has committed herself to support this sector and we take it as a promise that we will support with our own practical expertise, so that this sector develops in line with market needs.”
Angela Achiței, president of ADV Romania & RISE Romania
During this edition of the Enterprising for Tomorrow Conference, a new edition of the Romanian Social Economy Barometer was launched, a document developed and presented for the first time in Iasi by Ancuța Vameșu, vice-president of RISE Romania, containing updated data on the current situation of the social economy sector in Romania.
Over 220 participants attended in person the event in Iasi, Romania
| Business sector representatives, social entrepreneurs and social enterprises employees, representatives of public, academic and civic sectors from Romania, Rep. of Moldova, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Finland, the UK, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Ireland and Norway attended the event in-person. |
The event was live streamed on Zoom, Facebook and YouTube, gathering over 770 unique viewers.
A unique upcycled fashion project designed by Irina Schrotter was launched at the event
The event was also the occasion for the launch of the OPYA Fashion collection by fashion designer Irina Schrotter. It is a collection of clothes made from recycled materials such as bags from the OPYA coffee roastery, a collection that bears the signature of the renowned fashion designer from Iași.
Social Entrepreneurs Fair – Buy Social Expo
Discussions on public policies developed at national and European level were complemented by ideas and challenges shared by the social entrepreneurs present at the conference, who were able to present and sell their products at the Buy Social Expo.
Social Enterprise Accelerator Award Gala and Business Matchmaking Event
The evening was dedicated to networking and celebrating the organisations in the social economy sector. 18 entities were awarded at the Social Enterprise Accelerator Gala, following the counting of over 13,700 online votes. The conference concluded with a networking session at the Business Matching Event.
More than 60 national and European partners joined the European social economy event
The most important European networks based in Brussels, which develop the social economy ecosystem at European level partnered with ADV Romania for this event: ENSIE, EASPD, Social Economy Europe, Diesis Network.
Networks in Romania developing programmes and tools for social economy organisations: Ambasada Sustenabilității în România, RISE – Rețeaua Română a Economiei Sociale, FONSS, FDSC.
The most important organization in Moldova that develops social entrepreneurship in Moldova: Est-European Foundation.
Project partners: Camera de Comerț și Industrie Iași, Diak, Ateliere Fără Frontiere, Mondragon University, Unikum AS, AFIN IFN SA, Social Finance Association (SFA), Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini.
Strategic parteners: European Investement Fund, Asociația Marilor Rețele Comercial din România, Irina Schrotter, Agenția Națională pentru Achiziții Publice, CCI France Roumanie, Primăria Municipiului Iași, Consiliul Județean Iași, ADR Nord-Est, Squeeze It – Unitate Protejată, AJOFM Iași, FabLab Iași.
Media partners: TVR Iași, PIN Magazine, Evenimentul, Sustenabilitate.biz, WINK Public Multimedia, COOP News, Business Age.
Sponsors: Opya, Mastercard, UtilDeco, JobDirect, WISE.travel, BCR, Ophori Handmade Cosmetics, Editura Gama, Portretica, Bricked, 2BE, AER, Fundația Inimă de Copil, Muzeul Amintirilor din Comunism, Clinica Tia Dent, ImpaktEU, Strunga Winery, vitamin aqua, Migdalin Iași.
Event phots were generously provided Portretica social enterprise.
The conference was organized by ADV Romania Foundation, within the framework of five projects co-financed by the European Union:
- Buy Social B2B – Buy social Future of Social Economy!
- B-WISE – Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills in Work Integration Social Enterprises
- SocialTech4EU – SocialTech for Europe for Resilient and Responsible Ecosystems
- baSE – Blueprint for advanced skills & trainings in the social economy
- ESIC – Alliance Fostering Skills Development for Social Economy – European Social Innovation Campus
The Resolution of the conference
ADV Romania, the Romanian Social Economy Network – RISE Romania and the Social Enterprise Accelerator Cluster adopted the Resolution of the European Conference “Enterprising for Tomorrow” which includes a series of priorities and actions to be included in the National Government Programme and in Local Strategies.
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Víctor Meseguer, the Special Commissioner for Social Economy of the Spanish Government, confirms in-person attendance at #EFT2024
A prestigious guest at the conference!
We are delighted to announce that Víctor Meseguer, the Special Commissioner for Social Economy of the Spanish Government, has confirmed his in-person attendance at the Enterprising for Tomorrow Conference. This marks a landmark moment for the conference, significantly elevating its profile and promising a rich exchange of ideas and strategies from one of the sector’s most esteemed figures.
Meseguer’s presence at the Iasi conference is not just a professional commitment but a testament to his dedication to advancing the social economy sector. His previous appearance at the conference in 2022 as a keynote speaker was met with widespread acclaim, making his return this year highly anticipated by industry leaders and enthusiasts alike.
Meseguer’s role in shaping Spain’s social economy
Meseguer, known for steering Spain’s social economy to new heights, brings a wealth of experience and insights to the conference. Appointed as Special Commissioner in February 2023, he has been entrusted with coordinating transformative projects funded through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. His responsibilities also include fostering public-private partnerships and enhancing Spain’s role in the global social economy dialogue.
The Impact of Meseguer’s tenure at Social Economy Europe (SEE)
Before his current role, Víctor Meseguer actively led Social Economy Europe (SEE) for eight years as its director, driving substantial growth and strategic achievements. His leadership proved pivotal in SEE’s instrumental role in adopting the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) and the updated EU Industrial Strategy and Transition Pathway on Social Economy and Proximity. During this period, SEE significantly expanded its membership, establishing itself as a powerful and influential voice for the social economy across Europe.
Looking forward to Meseguer’s insightful contribution
Attendees can expect Meseguer to share his unique perspectives on how the social economy can contribute to building a more resilient and equitable Europe, drawing from his extensive experience and current initiatives. His in-person presence is particularly significant in an era where digital communication has become the norm, adding a personal touch to the event and facilitating more dynamic interactions.
As the conference date approaches, the anticipation builds not only for the insights Meseguer will share but also for the collaborative opportunities that such high-level gatherings provide. His involvement is a clear indicator of the conference’s importance as a hub for thought leadership in the social economy space.
#EFT2024: a hub for thought leadership
The Social Economy Conference in Iasi, with Meseguer’s participation, is set to delve deep into themes of sustainable and inclusive growth, presenting innovative ideas and fostering discussions that could shape future policies and business models.
This event is a landmark in the 2024 calendar for anyone interested in the intersection of economics, social impact, and sustainable development.