All research at the Centre for Social Economy are designed to refine knowledge of social enterprise and the social economy, whether in the form of fundamental research, action research, doctoral theses, post-doctorates or other.
How can we think about and strengthen participation in decision-making and economic processes for a more inclusive and democratic economy? What mechanisms of economic democracy for what effects? What are the desirable and prosperous futures in a more complex “post-growth” world, in which the issues of social and ecological justice are central? How can we rethink our economic models to achieve them?
What is the performance of an enterprise, beyond financial criteria? How can an enterprise be both efficient and compatible with planetary limits (environmental ceiling, social floor)? How can we assess social and environmental impact? How can corporate transparency be improved? How do the specific practices of social economy enterprises strengthen their resilience?
What specific skills do social economy actors need? How can these specific skills be taught in different formats and to different audiences? In view of their specificities, what digitalisation of social economy enterprises and for what effects on the diversity of stakeholders? How can social economy enterprises take advantage of digitalisation while ensuring sustainable management of their activities? How can we finance the socio-ecological transition of companies? How can we sustainably finance businesses that pursue social and environmental objectives while guaranteeing their economic sustainability? How can we help and equip companies to think about and develop their strong sustainability strategy from a socio-ecological transition perspective? How can we support them?
How do social economy enterprises undertake and innovate in response to the societal challenges facing our society? What ethical, fair and environmentally-friendly production and consumption chains are there, and how can they be promoted? What responsible and fair agri-food practices, from producer to consumer, to respect biodiversity and human health? How can they be supported and promoted?
