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Results of 1st International SoPro Congress

„Socio-oecological Production – Sustainable Economic Activity in Common“

This Congress, organized by the SoPro-InnovationsPlatform together with "die umweltberatung" Wien and Bio Forschung Austria, gave a survey about the potential of social enterprises and a broad range of possibilities for the future to the approx. 200 participants.

>> to conference documents

Dietmar Kanatschnig (Austrian Business Academy for Sustainable Development) and Beate Littig (Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna) referred to the relevance of REGIONAL VALUE CREATION and SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN ECONOMIC PROCESSES in their key presentations.

The „SoPro-mobile presentation" showed a great deal of experience from practical cooperation. Clients, implementing social enterprises and SoPro consultants showed the products and services individually developed for the demands of the respective client, and gave insights into the process of their cooperation within the frame of the EU project “socially produced”. Such Katharina Roth from Bio Forschung Austria showed results of the special project of “social-integrative farming”: “When gardening in common in an organic garden, people of most various ethnic groups and generations establish an appreciative treatment of one another and of nature.”

The examples and results show clearly that all participants benefit from the best-practice example of “socio-oecological production“:

Social enterprises and the workers occupied therein generate more cash flow, useful work and a broader offer of qualification for their workers.
Economic enterprises and public institutions receive useful products and services meeting CSR standards from the respective region.
Environmental protection is taken into consideration through recycling or even upcycling of enterprise waste into new quality products and through incentives for eco-design of new products.

Summing up of contents of Congress

Also Johanna Leutgoeb - head of technical division of “die umweltberatung“ - sees opportunities for the future for SoPro; together with the scientific companion of this initiative, Dietmar Kanatschnig, she presented the summary with regard to contents of the first day of Congress: “We live in times of change. It is clear that we have to change something in the oecological and social spheres. The innovations in products and services of social production help meeting the challenges of the future.”

The basis of SoPro is an appreciative attitude of all players involved. Cooperation between social enterprises, procurers, companies and the public sector in the consultations performed within the frame of this project is not traditional cooperation, but a relationship at eye level. In the center of innovations, there is sustainable work, this means that the demands of the persons concerned are taken into consideration, that work places are created in the respective region, and in every respect resource-saving processes are forced.

Students and graduates of the Wiener Neustadt-Wieselburg University of Applied Sciences (UAS), of the UAS Campus Vienna and the University of Economics Vienna presented flashlights from scientific final theses. Dealing with the topic of appreciation in the work process, for instance, offers great potential. “There is much need for communication”, as states Sebastian Beer from the UAS Campus Vienna, author of his master’s thesis established in cooperation with SoPro.

Dietmar Kanatschnig states: “The SoPro project will not expand on account of theory behind this project, but through the products and services created“. Professionalism at work is not only found in “practical implementation of innovative products, but also in bases of this project, such as marketing, supporting scientific research and criteria for social production.”

Procurement by SoPro consultants is an essential key factor for successful cooperation, such as, for instance, the production of clothes for the special needs of wheelchair users.

Also an intense cooperation with the Working Community of the Danube Regions is planned, which intends to expand the SoPro best-practice example in the Danube region. Secretary General Peter de Martin: “The SoPro programme comes up to the demands of the Danube region in many respects: It is a matter of value creation for regional economy, at the same time of creativity and innovation and sensible use of resources. In compliance with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, we will make all efforts to help make this project a great success!”

In the medium term, strengthened cooperation between economic and social clusters is the declared target. The Coordinator responsible for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, Hans-Peter Herdlitschka from Baden-Wuerttemberg, adds: “Sustainable economic activity is a key factor for the future of this entire region. Initiatives like ‘SoPro’ bring innovation and networking to enterprises. This is met with an increasing demand.”

For the time being, “SoPro” shall be confronted with the next steps of development in Austria and in Hungary. Szabolcs Hollosí, representative of the Hungarian lead partner, and Franz Rybaczek, project initiator of the Lower Austrian KOMUNITAS OG: “The future depends on good, innovative, regional and cross-border cooperation. It is a matter of implementing common projects like the “handicap tailor’s” or Social Computer Circular Economy, and of gaining experience. At the same time, until the end of this year we will create together with all project partners the structures for an international service organization, and will have concluded the preliminary works for a SoPro label of quality.”

Contact:
SoPro-InnovationsPlatform, Markus Damböck
Tel.: 0664 / 538 94 83

Title photo (from left to right): Dietmar Kanatschnig (Austrian Business Academy for Sustainable Development), Erwin Szlezak (ARGE Donauländer), Katharina Foglar-Deinhardstein („die umweltberatung"), Beate Littig (Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna), Bernhard Kromp (Bio Forschung Austria), János Kondor (Arbeitgeber- und Industriellen-Vereinigung Komitat Vas, HU), Franz Rybaczek (SoPro-InnovationsPlatform)

Fotos ©: SoPro-InnovationsPlatform/Nadja Meister