Fondazione Triulza, network of Third Sector and civil economy organizations operating in MIND, has officially joined the Social Economy Cluster, one of the Industrial Clusters of the European Union, and has been included in the institutional hub “European Cluster Collaboration Platform” with the name of “Triulza”: https://profile.clustercollaboration.eu/profile/cluster-organisation/bfb10ff9-0f4b-4881-8a21-452b7e6606d5
“A unique case that paves the way for a large space for experimentation within MIND and in Italy“, says professor Mario Calderini
The entrance into the EU Cluster ecosystem confirms and recognises the value of Fondazione Triulza within MIND and reaffirms the importance of the presence of civil society within innovation districts: a presence that must be effective and which has also an economic value.
“The recognition of Fondazione Triulza by the European Commission as one of the Italian clusters for the social economy is an important result that paves the way, even formally, for a large space for experimentation within MIND and in Italy. Triulza is in fact unique in Europe: it is a cluster of the social economy embedded in a district of innovation with a high technological and knowledge intensity. Social economy and enterprises are truly the protagonists of MIND’s innovation model. The Triulza cluster helps to open MIND to social innovation and to international territories. At the same time, the location of Triulza in the district makes explicit the role of the Foundation as a solid network for the technological transformation of the social economy“, declares Mario Calderini, full professor of the Milan Polytechnic and President of the Scientific Committee of the Social Innovation Academy in MIND.
“This recognition confirms that we are working in the right direction and in line with the Action Plan for the Social Economy by the European Commission, which calls on Member States to define and promote a new generation social economy that goes beyond the perimeter of the Third Sector and that concerns the whole economic system. The social economy is an industrial cluster for the EU and this is why we must continue to promote and support the digitalization and technological transfer of Third Sector realities together with new financial instruments and models of collaboration and contamination with other business models having the same social impact objectives. MIND, in addition to being the testing ground for this model, also strengthens its international vocation by being part of the new Social Economy Cluster”, affirms Massimo Minelli, President of Fondazione Triulza.
Here some of the initiatives of Fondazione Triulza that are recognized as valuable by the European Commission in the context of industrial clusters of the social economy:
- The capacity building and technology transfer paths for cooperatives, social startups and innovative startups developed with the Social Tech project together with Fondo Sviluppo – Confcooperative, Coopfond – Legacoop and General Fond – AGCI (which have already involved 52 cooperatives and social startups);
- Activities to immerse innovative companies with an impact in the MIND innovation ecosystem through tools such as Call Social Tech and the MatchIS project with Finlombarda and PlusValue;
- The Social Innovation Campus, a privileged hub for promoting social innovation and impact among the new generations with orientation and co-planning activities, which has already involved around 20,000 participants in the first four editions;
- The debate and discussion activities on measuring the impact and on the activation of targeted financial instruments within the Social Innovation Academy since 2018.
In this new international context, Fondazione Triulza means to strengthen collaborations with Italian and non-Italian realities for the implementation of projects and activities that are necessary to enhance the social economy in Italy, also drawing on the funds that the Commission could dedicate to the members of the Clusters.
