The closing event brought together European institutions, researchers, and organizations to present the project’s results and share the Digital and Data Action Plan. This plan provides a roadmap for strengthening digital skills in the social economy sector.
From 6 to 9 July, the DO Impact closing event – Digital and Data-Driven Opportunities to Strengthen the Social Economy Impact – took place in Brussels. The project is dedicated to promoting the adoption of digital and data-driven approaches within social economy organizations. Hosted at the European Economic and Social Committee and the Ateliers des Tanneurs, the initiative brought together over 140 participants, including representatives from European institutions, researchers, social economy organizations, and other stakeholders.
DO Impact was launched to support organizations in the proximity and social economy sectors in integrating digital technologies and making strategic use of data. This will help strengthen their sustainability, capacity to generate social impact and competitiveness. The project involves nine European partners and provides training programs, operational tools, and replicable methodologies to support the sector's digital transformation.
The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering at Politecnico di Milano participated in the project through the Tiresia research centre, under the scientific leadership of Professor Mario Calderini. The research group contributed to designing the learning modules and capability-building activities carried out during workshops in Milan and Turin, sharing their expertise in data, artificial intelligence, and innovation for social impact.
At the closing event, the project's key findings were presented, and opportunities for discussion were created between European institutions, the research community, and social economy organizations. The program included a policy roundtable dedicated to developing a European data ecosystem for the social economy, co-design activities for the Digital and Data Action Plan (DDAP) involving over 80 participants in drawing up a roadmap due to be published shortly, and a presentation of the report Data Cooperatives: A New Paradigm for Data Management in the Era of the Platform Economy, focusing on emerging models of data governance.
The project has developed tools and pathways to encourage the responsible use of data and digital technologies, promoting innovative models geared towards social impact. A key outcome of the project is that the Digital and Data Action Plan will provide operational guidance to support social economy organizations in developing digital skills and making the most of their information assets.
The experience gained through DO Impact confirms the role of research in supporting a digital transformation geared towards the collective good through the integration of technological innovation, data governance, and social impact.