Beyond Co-Location: Clustering the Social Economy

Abstract

This is the final report of BALTA research project D4 - Sustainable Infrastructure for the Social Economy: Cluster-Based Social Enterprise Models. Political and economic restructuring over the past 30 years has had a profound impact on the social economy, particularly for non-profit organizations. In the wake of state withdrawal of services and significant funding cutbacks, many non-profit organizations have taken on greater responsibility for addressing social needs and environmental concerns within communities with increasingly limited resources. Many non-profits are partnering with social enterprises in common spaces to share resources that is resulting in a reduction of overhead costs and creating greater efficiencies, often referred to as co-location. Social economy organizations are moving beyond co-location by adopting a clustering approach that has resulted in dynamic centres of social change and innovation. This research project examined the literature on clustering and a number of case studies.