The Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) is strengthening its commitment to studying, promoting and embedding the Social Economy as a strategic pillar of economic and social development, with the ambition of creating impact in Catalonia, across Europe and internationally.
Against this backdrop, ASETT has launched its work in Catalonia through a programme of institutional meetings and visits to leading organisations within the region’s Social Economy ecosystem.
During the visit, the ASETT team explored several outstanding examples that demonstrate how the principles of the Social Economy are translated into real-world impact.
One of these was VIServeis, a cooperative that shows how shared expertise and collective determination can create new opportunities. After losing their jobs, a group of experienced workers decided not to abandon their skills. Instead, they joined forces to establish their own cooperative, building on years of professional experience in the after-sales servicing of next-generation industrial vehicles. In the past year alone, VIServeis has doubled its workforce and established itself as a leading specialist in the maintenance of hybrid, fully electric, compressed natural gas (CNG) and innovative hydrogen-powered urban buses.
The delegation also visited Fundación Privada Trinijove, located in Trinitat Vella, one of Barcelona’s most historically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. For more than three decades, Trinijove has demonstrated how employment can become a powerful engine for social transformation. Through its Special Employment Centre and Work Integration Enterprise, the foundation connects training, employment and dignity, supporting thousands of people at risk of social exclusion. By combining professional training with strong partnerships with businesses, Trinijove prepares individuals for high-demand occupations—including welding and other industrial trades—and creates genuine pathways into sustainable employment.
The agenda also included meetings with representatives from public institutions, the cooperative movement, third-sector organisations, academia and the financial sector, highlighting the strength, diversity and innovative capacity of Catalonia’s Social Economy ecosystem.
ASETT would like to thank the Directorate-General for the Social Economy of the Government of Catalonia and the wider Catalan Social Economy community for their warm welcome and their willingness to collaborate.
This first stage of joint work strengthens a partnership focused on generating knowledge, increasing visibility and developing new initiatives that position the Social Economy as a cornerstone of a fairer, more democratic economic model.
