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Joschka Moldenhauer (he) works as a research assistant at the Seminar for Cooperative Research at the Institute for Sociology and Social Psychology. He is involved in the project AdvancementS in Social Economy through Technological Solutions (ASSETS) (GA ID: 101177874), funded by the Horizon Europe research framework program,  which aims to drive innovation in the field of Social Economy (SE).  

The ASSETS project was created to address the specific challenges faced by SE organizations (SEOs). They account for over 10% of enterprises in the EU and provide 13.6 million jobs. Yet they face significant hurdles when it comes to scaling their activities, securing funding and effectively measuring their social impact. ASSETS brings together universities, research institutes and non-governmental organizations from across Europe to develop innovative tools and strategies. 

The ASSETS project is focused on four core objectives:

  1. Understand challenges: Cross-regional research and case studies will explore the policy, legal and operational barriers faced by SEOs. This helps to identify opportunities to improve social inclusion and job quality in different contexts.
  2. Improve evaluation tools: Advanced evaluation tools are being developed that integrate local perspectives and technology. With these tools, SEOs can effectively measure their social impact with a focus on community needs and employee wellbeing.
  3. Conduct case studies: ASSETS tests innovative solutions in six living labs that address challenges such as housing, rural marginalization, community care, and environmental sustainability. The research focus for the Seminar for Cooperative Researchis in the district of Görlitz, in close cooperation with the Social Network Lausitz.
  4. Building a digital platform: A cooperative digital platform will connect stakeholders and provide tools for collaboration, policy debate and capacity building.