Barcelona and Andalusia Advance Social Economy Through Innovation and Recognition
Barcelona's Escocesa factory redevelopment and Andalusia's award to a social economy professor highlight Spain's push for urban social economy innovation and recognition.
- • Barcelona's Escocesa factory redevelopment includes social economy cooperatives, assisted housing, and a 52 million euro investment in 22@ district.
- • The Klein warehouse will be the first to transform into a social economy cooperative, with bidding in early 2024.
- • Francisco Rincón won the Premio Andalucía ES for 'Best Dissemination Project' focusing on social economy entrepreneurship.
- • The Andalucía Social Economy Awards promote sustainable development and recognize contributors in the sector.
Key details
Barcelona city council is spearheading a transformative plan for the Escocesa factory in the 22@ district, which was reclaimed by the council in October 2023. Originally purchased in 2017 to prevent luxury housing development, the site now aims to foster social economy cooperatives, artistic creation spaces, and assisted housing. The first phase will focus on redeveloping the Klein warehouse into a cooperative space for social economy initiatives, with public bidding planned for early 2024 and an estimated cost of 7.5 million euros. The broader renovation project, budgeted at 52 million euros, also includes assisted housing for people with disabilities and a technological agro-food incubator in the Shield warehouse. The council intends this project to be a replicable model for collective management and sustainability, engaging social sector entities in its development.
In Andalusia, the promotion of social economy has also gained momentum through recognition and awards. Francisco Rincón Roldán, professor at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, received the Premio Andalucía ES for the "Best Dissemination Project" category at the IV Andalucía Social Economy Awards. His work focuses on diagnosing the state of entrepreneurship in the social economy, identifying enabling and limiting factors to strengthen this sector in Andalusia. The event, presided over by Employment and Business Minister Rocío Blanco, underlines the regional commitment to enhancing the social economy ecosystem. The awards highlight efforts by individuals and organizations contributing to sustainable development and territorial cohesion, with each category offering a monetary prize of 4,800 euros.
Together, these initiatives in Barcelona and Andalusia underscore Spain’s focus on cultivating social economy models through innovative urban projects and recognition of key contributors, fostering greater visibility and sustainability in the sector.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.