Gianluca Salvatori: Building Research Capacity : A perspective from Europe
1. Building Research Capacity
A perspective from Europe
Gianluca Salvatori
ICA - Global Conference
Cape Town, 3 Nov 2013
2.
3. An Open Space for Knowledge
The European Research Area is composed of all research and
development activities, programs and policies in Europe which
involve a transnational perspective. Together, they enable
researchers, research institutions and businesses to
increasingly circulate, compete and co-operate across borders.
The aim is to give them access to a Europe-wide open space
for knowledge and technologies in which transnational
synergies and complementarities are fully exploited.
4. Obstacles
From the very beginning this European flagship program was
limited by the same three main obstacles that were the real ERA’s
raison d'être:
1.Low level of investment and human resources.
2.Fragmentation and poor coordination (among MS and single
institutions).
3.Difficulty in knowledge application (research rarely comes to be
applied in real situation).
Facing these resistances European Parliament today is calling
for a true Maastricht for research: a route to convergence and a
binding common framework.
5. The Shift in Priorities
Since its inception in 2000 ERA has not paid much attention to
studies on social economy and cooperatives. Socio-economic
research was monopolized by mainstream approaches.
But the economic downturn has stimulated a search for
organizational and economic models that are different from
those that predominated in recent decades, which were
essentially based on market fundamentalism.
Today’s priority number one is changing existing rules on
economic governance to better anticipate and address
employment and social challenges.
6. The Change of Climate
Ageing societies, a shrinking working-age population, unemployment,
inactivity, lack of skills, and poverty are a source of structural
imbalances in Europe, impacting on growth and quality of life. One in
five jobs in Europe is a low-quality job. These jobs pay little, and are
characterised by poor working conditions and limited prospects.
The social dimension of any new economic governance in
Europe must focus on redressing these imbalances.
Compared to other parts of the world, Europe still has high
levels of spending on public services and social policy in
general. It is unlikely that more money will be allocated in the
current economic circumstances. We have to do more and
better with the limited resources available.
7.
8. The New Approach is Based on:
1. increasing inability of the two-poles paradigm (State and Market) to respond to
growing and diversified needs arising in society;
2. progressive recognition of a need for different forms of
enterprises (evidence shows that cooperatives survive crises better than other
types of business, also in very competitive economies, and are relevant in
several countries and sectors).
9.
10. For a New Interpretative
Framework
1. the shortcomings of the predominant model of economic
organization shows the importance of entrepreneurial and
organizational diversity;
2. enterprises differ according to the ownership structure, aim
pursued, social orientation and incentive mix;
3. market exchanges are just one among the existing
coordination mechanisms generating collective benefits.
11. Cooperative Competitive
Advantages
On the economic side:
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reducing market failures and strengthening the competitiveness of markets
keeping the production of goods and services close to the needs of people
long-term perspective
more fair distribution of income
On the social side:
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addressing problems affecting local communities or stakeholders in need
strongly rooted in a “collective awareness”
enhancing social capital
involving disadvantaged people
solving problems that would be otherwise in charge of public sector
12. Translating into a Research
Agenda
1. The socio-economic role of cooperatives: theoretical interpretations and empirical analyses
2. Size and characteristics of the cooperative sector
3. The impact of cooperatives on economic development and on the accumulation of social capital
4. Legal forms and policies supporting the development of coops
5. International models of cooperative enterprises
6. Management and governance for cooperative enterprises
19. The Toolbox: Mobility and
Networking
1. Joint research projects
2. Joint PhD program
3. International networks of scholars (see Emes, Ciriec)
4. Study visits, mobility programs (see Marie-Curie)
5. Shared resources (databases, case-studies, …)
21. And Finally…
Because of the increasing collaborative nature of research, we need a contact language, based on a
translational approach.
Overcoming verticalized organizations, our effort of collaboration should benefit from the knowledge’s
developments in the various sectors of specialization.
Research on cooperative should be more cooperative than ever…
22. Thank you for your attention!
gianluca.salvatori@euricse.eu
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Notas do Editor
On the other side, academic quality must be at highest standard.
On-line International
Peer Reviewed Journal
multi-disciplinary approach
focus on cooperative and social enterprise studies
open access model
involvement of leading scholars
innovative interpretation of cooperatives and social enterprises proposed
Beyond academic approach: Policy and Advocacy Work
“From Words to Action” Appeal to the European Commission
420 signatures, presented to 2 European Commissioners and approximately 100 European representatives and SEC practitioners
Single Market Act Response
Document on behalf of the European scientific community on the draft SMA proposed by the Commission, partly included in the final version of the SMA document
Joint document with EMES and CIRIEC on the Common Strategic Framework for Research and Innovation Funding
Participation as invited experts to the working sessions on Social Innovation and Social Business organized by the European Commission
Just an example of a larger task.
The goal is to set up and maintain databanks with indicators measuring the , financial situation, economic and social performance, legislative structure and attitudinal background across the different countries.
