Hello,

We’re back with the latest updates from ASSETS — our Horizon Europe project advancing the social economy through innovation, collaboration, and real-world testing.

In this edition, we’re bringing you a roundup of in action activities across Europe and beyond. Discover the highlights from our recent events and milestones, including:

• The Izmir plenary meeting

• Our participation in the Social Economy European Summit

• The launch of the Bolzano Living Lab

• ASSETS future participation at the EMES Conference

• UNED and Fundación Entretantos Living Lab

• ASSETS at the International Sociological Union 

ASSETS 2nd Plenary Meeting in Izmir

The ASSETS consortium gathered in Izmir on 25–26 September 2025, hosted by the Izmir Institute of Technology, for the project’s second plenary meeting. Partners reviewed progress on developing digital tools that empower Social Economy Organisations (SEOs) and shared insights from national mappings and stakeholder engagement.

A hands-on Living Labs workshop brought local perspectives into the design process, reinforcing ASSETS’ participatory approach. The meeting strengthened collaboration and set the course for the next phase,  testing and refining tools that will help SEOs drive inclusive and sustainable growth across Europe.

ASSETS Showcased at the Social Economy Summit 

At the Social Economy European Summit in Murcia (September 2025), ASSETS was featured in the “Meeting on Research and Innovation in the Social Economy Ecosystem,” alongside fellow Horizon Europe projects DICES, EMCCINNO, and WISESHIFT.

Represented by Nerea Abad Itoiz (UNED), this event offered a vibrant forum for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share insights, deepen synergies, and strengthen Europe’s social economy ecosystem together.

The Bolzano Living Lab Launches in Oltreisarco 

On 28 June 2025, the Bolzano Living Lab officially launched in Oltreisarco, marking a new chapter in community-led innovation.  Led by the Free University of Bolzano and Cooperativa Sole, the lab will co-design solutions around housing, land use, governance, and social inclusion in Bolzano’s unique cultural and spatial context. 

This initiative brings together residents, researchers, public actors, and civil society to experiment with sustainable and equitable housing strategies rooted in local realities.

ASSETS at the EMES International Research Conference

ASSETS will take part in the 10th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, held from 3–7 November 2025 in Rotterdam and Utrecht. Under the theme “Scaling Through Communities,” the event brings together researchers and practitioners to explore how social enterprises drive societal transitions.

ASSETS will contribute insights from its work on digital innovation and co-creation in the social economy. Check our social media and website for updates on which sessions we’ll be presenting in, and how you can connect with us at EMES 2025.

UNED and Entretantos Living Lab on Rural Networks

The UNED and Fundación Entretantos team hosted a new ASSETS Project Living Lab, guided by Marta Solórzano García, to explore what truly gives rural networks value. The session looked at trust, collective energy, and belonging beyond measurable indicators.

Participants also reimagined evaluation as a collective practice to strengthen autonomy and inspire change.

ASSETS at the International Sociological Union 

Representing the ASSETS Project, the team from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki took part in the International Sociological Association Forum in Rabat, Morocco (6–11 July 2025).

They presented on social innovation in workplaces, exploring how innovation can be recognized, sustained, and institutionalized, extending ASSETS’ mission to understand and promote sustainable practices on a global scale.

We encourage you to stay connected and explore how collaborative efforts can accelerate positive social change across Europe. 

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