In May 2021, the European Commission updated its Industrial Strategy to support the transformation to a more sustainable, digital, resilient and globally competitive economy, notably in the post-COVID-19 recovery context. Building on an ecosystem-based approach, the new updated strategy called for the involvement of stakeholders in the elaboration of transition pathways for the 14 industrial ecosystem’. Released in December 2021, the Action Plan for proximity and social economy reaffirmed the ambition to launch a transition pathway for the proximity and social economy ecosystem in view of maximizing the contribution of its entities to the green and digital transitions.
Following the co-creation process, the Commission released on 14 November 2022 its transition pathway for the proximity and social economy ecosystem. Building on 14 actions areas, the pathway pinpoints avenues of actions for a strengthened and more resilient social economy ecosystem in the context of the ongoing twin transition. Ranging from business-to-business collaboration and multi-stakeholder partnerships to investing in infrastructure and access to innovation and technology, the pathway puts forward a set of measures and identify the relevant actors and the timeframe for such actions to be introduced.
In the framework of the co-implementation phase which started with the publication of the pathway, the Commission has launched a call for pledges aiming at collecting concrete actions social economy entities and other relevant stakeholders will undertake to help achieve the actions laid out in the pathway. Pledges will be collected and assessed on a rolling-basis.
The next cut-off date to submit your pledges is 1 June 2024.
Pledges already published (over 170 pledges so far) can be found here.
Upcoming platform
To support stakholders regarding their work related to the twin transitions the European Commission will create a transition pathway stakeholder collaboration platform that will facilitate exchanges with and between stakeholders and pledge takers.
The platform is currently under development, the public launch is foreseen for Q4 2024.The platform will have the aim to support the co-implementation process of the ‘proximity and social economy’ ecosystem by offering information, matchmaking, training and workshops, peer learning and funding advisory. The platform will also have a thematic interactive area for online exchange and collaboration on various themes related to the transition pathway and the pledges made by stakeholders. Finally, networking opportunities between stakeholders from the proximity and social economy ecosystem and stakeholders from other industrial ecosystems will be facilitated.
More information on the transition pathway for proximity and social economy