SERIGO

The project adopts a cross-sectoral perspective on vulnerability and applies critical systems thinking combined with participatory, community-based research to explore the potential of the social economy to promote social inclusion and improve the quality and accessibility of services in rural areas. Empirical data is collected through numerous qualitative case studies on social economy solutions already being implemented in local environments across 13 countries. By using a “multi-actor approach,” SERIGO provides a more nuanced and “lived” insight into the factors of social exclusion, as seen through the eyes of local actors who collaborate with researchers in co-creating experimental pilot projects in five European regions. Through a system of deliberate feedback loops, dedicated workshops on multi-level policies, and the maintenance of a permanent thematic community of practice, SERIGO ensures that the newly acquired knowledge is relevant and applicable, and that all its results have high potential for exploitation.