Social Economy for Competitiveness and Social Justice
The Turin Chamber of Commerce, Torino Social Impact, and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) are jointly promoting a public event that will take place in Turin on February 20, 2026, at the Aula Magna of the Cavallerizza Reale, University of Turin, with the aim of strengthening the role of the social economy as a driver of an inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred development model capable of integrating social and environmental objectives.
The event comes at a crucial moment for the development of the social economy in Italy—a sector that has been strengthened by the drafting of the National Action Plan for the Social Economy and by the consolidation of European and global policies, while at the same time facing new uncertainties linked to shifts in the European Union’s strategic and geopolitical agenda.
The initiative also takes place on the occasion of the World Day of Social Justice, highlighting the essential role of social enterprises in promoting a just transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive global economy.
The event will deepen the understanding of the role of the social economy as a strategic driver that integrates competitiveness, and will showcase the recent work of the Global Coalition for Social Justice on the role of the social and solidarity economy in advancing a human rights–based economy. It will explore how, at a time when democratic identity and fundamental values are under pressure and political systems are increasingly polarised by the dominance of power over cooperative approaches, the social economy offers principles and models that serve as pillars for strengthening, practising, and promoting civic and democratic values.
Turin is hosting the event in the belief that local territories play a central role in unlocking the potential of social impact entrepreneurship. The social economy effectively responds to community needs through participatory processes, draws strength from local contexts, and fosters collaboration among people, businesses, and institutions, contributing to the construction of a cohesive and innovative ecosystem.
Key speakers
- Lucia Albano, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance
- Irene Tinagli, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Intergroup on the Social Economy and Services of General Interest (remote)
- Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy Europe
- Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
- Silvia Roggiani, Member of the of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament
- Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD
- Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Simel Esim, Head of the Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit, International Labour Organization and Chair of the United Nations Inter Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy
- Aicha Belassir, Director-General for Social Economy and Corporate Social Responsibility Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, Government of Spain
- Mario Calderini, Professor at Politecnico di Milano and Spokesperson for Torino Social Impact
- Gianluca Salvatori, Secretary General of EURICSE
- Sarah de Heusch, Director of Social Economy Europe
- Paola Babos, Deputy Director of the ITCILO
Join the event!
Participation is free. Secure your place by registering on Eventbrite.
