Social Economy & Sustainability Management

Third sector, social businesses and social innovation

Third sector activities, cooperatives, social entrepreneurship, and social innovation are among the main issues affecting debates over public policy and economics across the globe.

In the field of social economy, we carry out research and consulting activities on a wide range of topics, including corporate sustainability, social and environmental accounting procedures, the role of non-profit and third sector actors, volunteering, social enterprises, and social innovation. We provide the following services:

The social economy has assumed a prominent place in ARCO’s activities since its founding. Our headquarters at PIN (Polo Universitario Città di Prato) are now known as the Yunus Social Business Centre University of Florence (YSBCUF). The YSBCUF is the first organization accredited by the Yunus Centre of Dhaka, which was founded by Nobel peace prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.

ARCO supports the Yunus Social Business Centre in the development and implementation of Social Business City Programs: long-term actions involving promoting and supporting social enterprises at the local level.