Complex Networks for Co-op Economies

Research Project

Complex Networks for Cooperative Economies is the outcome of a partnership to assess the robustness of British Columbia's co-operative network. The International Centre for Co-operative Management (ICCM) led the research in cooperation with the British Columbia Co-operative Association (BCCA).

Report 

This research has culminated in a report "Complex Networks for Cooperative Economies" (2024) authored by ICCM's Júlia Martins Rodrigues, Sonja Novkovic, and Karen Miner. The report is forthcoming; stay tuned! Read the Executive Summary

Summary

Some regions have broken new ground for an alternative economic approach based on complex cooperative networks. Regional networks have embraced an unorthodox relationship between people and organizations across the private, public, nonprofit and financial sectors based on cooperation, mutuality and solidarity. This report provides a structure or a conceptual map for understanding the vital elements of context-dependent cooperative networks, including their purpose, agents, respective functions, context variables and how those elements interact to bolster cooperative formation and sustainability. This report also provides a case study for understanding the cooperative development in British Columbia and variations in different regions such as Quebec in Canada and Emilia Romagna in Italy.

More Information

Please contact Júlia Martins Rodrigues, Project Coordinator.