A team of researchers from the ESIRA and SERIGO Horizon Europe projects presented their findings at the 10th EMES conference. Coordinated by Luca Koltai (HÉTFA Research Institute), the panel featured contributions from scholars at the University of Burgos, Euricse, the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Eurac Research, the University of Eastern Finland and the Centre for Social Innovation in Vienna.
As one of the foremost global gatherings for social economy research, the EMES conference showcased cutting-edge research addressing today’s most pressing social and territorial challenges. The event reaffirmed the pivotal role of the social economy in creating inclusive and sustainable societies.
The panel, titled ‘Enhancing social innovation through the social economy in rural areas’, brought together four research papers from the ESIRA and SERIGO projects. These papers examined how social economy organisations, social enterprises and grassroots initiatives were addressing persistent challenges in rural, remote and mountainous regions. The presentations focused on innovative models of elder care, the developmental impact of social economy organisations, intersectional approaches to rural vulnerabilities, and the effects of the de-democratisation of governance on social entrepreneurship in Hungary.
The session took place on 6 November during the 10th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, which was hosted by Erasmus University Rotterdam and Utrecht University.
Rural regions across Europe continue to face demographic decline, reduced access to essential services, and widening socio-economic vulnerabilities. The ESIRA and SERIGO projects were designed to explore how social economy actors can strengthen resilience, inclusion, and quality of life in these contexts. The panel aimed to share evidence that cooperatives, social enterprises, and community organisations are creating innovative, place-based solutions. By bringing together comparative research and case studies from across Europe, the session contributed to a deeper understanding of how social economy initiatives can foster more inclusive, sustainable rural development.
Sonia Marcos (Universidad de Burgos) presented research on innovative, socially driven elder-care models developed in rural Spain as part of the ESIRA project. This work was carried out in collaboration with María Jesús Castrillo, Luis Marcos and Claudia Castroviejo. They examined the feasibility of a person-centred residential and social services centre in Tubilla del Lago, which is designed to enable older adults to continue living in their communities. The team also emphasised how social-economy foundations can provide high-quality care in areas where traditional services have declined.
Jacopo Sforzi and Giulia Tallarini (Euricse), in collaboration with Giulia Galera, presented a paper exploring how social economy organisations contribute to rural development by responding to unmet needs and mobilising local resources. Drawing on ESIRA findings, the researchers demonstrated that cooperatives and community-based enterprises help to sustain essential services, create employment and strengthen social cohesion. They emphasised the potential of place-based, participatory models to drive resilient rural economies.
Marzia Bona (EURAC) introduced the work of SERIGO (in collaboration with Marika Gruber, Cristina Dalla Torre, Ida Motteran and Alexandra Tomaselli), which takes an intersectional, critical systems approach to analysing vulnerabilities in rural areas and the role of social and solidarity economy initiatives in addressing them. They demonstrated how gender, ethnicity and other social factors influence the experiences of beneficiaries and the inclusivity of governance structures within SSE initiatives. Their preliminary findings emphasised how more holistic, intersectional methods can reveal opportunities for fairer and more resilient rural development.
Judit Keller (Centre for Social Innovation, Vienna / CERS, Budapest) presented her work in collaboration with Ágnes Németh (University of Eastern Finland). The presentation examined how widening inequalities, shrinking welfare states and de-democratisation have reshaped the environment in which social economy organisations operate, particularly in rural Hungary. While neoliberal reforms and the marketisation of welfare have pushed NGOs, faith-based groups and social enterprises to fill growing gaps in public service provision — often with little or no state support — these organisations have also been pressured by increasingly centralised and illiberal governance structures that restrict civic space. Drawing on empirical research from the SERIGO project, the study explored how social enterprises navigate this challenging landscape. It asked whether and how they can generate innovative solutions, empower marginalised groups and pursue social change under political conditions that limit autonomy and participation. Ultimately, the analysis sheds light on the limited opportunities for social innovation in illiberal contexts and the delicate balance these organisations must strike to address social needs while operating within restrictive institutional frameworks.
