On the afternoon of July 7, the Final Conference of the European project DO Impact took place in Brussels, followed on July 8 by the Eighth Transnational Workshop. The two events brought together European institutions, social economy organisations, researchers and innovators to reflect on the role of data, artificial intelligence and digital innovation in strengthening the European social economy and building a more collaborative, inclusive and resilient ecosystem.

At the conclusion of a two-year journey, the DO Impact project brought together European institutions, social economy organisations, researchers, digital innovators and policymakers to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation, placing a key question at the centre: how can data, artificial intelligence and digital technologies be oriented towards the common good?

The Final Conference, hosted at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), opened with remarks from Gianluca Pastorelli, Executive President of Diesis Network, and Philip von Brockdorff, Vice-President of the EESC Workers’ Group. This was followed by a keynote speech by Giuseppe Guerini, President of Cooperatives Europe, who highlighted how digital transformation is not an inevitable process, but a trajectory that can be guided so that it generates value for society.

During the afternoon, the panel Digital and Data-Driven Transformation as a Driver of Social Impact in Europe explored the role of interoperable digital infrastructures, data governance and European cooperation in the development of digital ecosystems capable of supporting the social economy.

The discussion, moderated by Gianluca Pastorelli, involved representatives of the European Commission, Social Economy Europe and ECAS – European Citizen Action Service, highlighting the need to strengthen collaboration among organisations and align digitalisation strategies with European priorities.

A second discussion focused on the relationship between democracy, participation and artificial intelligence through the panel Small Voices, Big Systems: Keeping Democracy Human in the Age of AI. The debate addressed the role of citizens and civil society in the design and governance of digital technologies, underlining that Europe’s digital future depends not only on technological innovation, but also on the ability to build open, inclusive infrastructures oriented towards people’s needs.

The day concluded with a roundtable dedicated to building a European data ecosystem for the social economy. The discussion highlighted how digital sovereignty, interoperability, shared governance and coordinated investments are key elements to enable data to generate public value and social impact.

On July 8, during the Eighth Transnational Workshop — Forward Planning with Data: Opportunities and Synergies — the focus shifted to the concrete experiences of European organisations undertaking digital transformation pathways. Through contributions from different countries, participants shared tools, challenges and results, showing how data can become a strategic resource to improve organisational governance, support more informed decision-making and increase social impact.

The day also included a workshop dedicated to the Digital and Data Action Plan (DDAP), one of the main outcomes of the project. Participants worked in groups to define operational roadmaps on data governance, shared infrastructures, collaboration among organisations and digital transformation. The DDAP will serve as a practical tool to support social economy organisations in developing their digital capacities in the coming years.

A specific space was also dedicated to dialogue among several European projects active in the field of digitalisation of the social economy. The exchange highlighted how the value of European projects lies not only in the tools or outputs produced, but above all in the collaboration networks, knowledge exchange and communities of practice that continue to generate impact beyond the conclusion of individual initiatives.

The two-day event concluded with a final reflection workshop, during which partners reviewed the learning journey developed over the past two years, assessing its methodologies, results and future perspectives.

The Final Conference on July 7 and the Eighth Transnational Workshop on July 8 represented the conclusion of a two-year European pathway, but also the beginning of a new phase of collaboration. The message emerging from the two days was clear: the digital transformation of the social economy is an ongoing process that requires skills, collaboration and shared experimentation.

More than the adoption of new technologies, what will make the difference is the ability to build open ecosystems, recognise data as a common good and strengthen connections among organisations, territories and institutions.

Among the events developed by DO Impact in recent months, the fifth European Deep Dive took place on June 25 and focused on digital participation and open governance.

The event explored the contribution of open-source platforms such as Consul Democracy and presented the Italian capacity-building pathway promoted by Fondazione Piemonte Innova, Torino Social Impact and TIRESIA, providing an opportunity to highlight the role of data, participation and digital skills as levers to strengthen the social impact of organisations.

With the conclusion of DO Impact, the project comes to an end, but the relationships, knowledge and tools built over the past two years continue. The experiences shared through the Deep Dives, transnational workshops and local workshops will continue to support the development of a European social economy that is increasingly digital, resilient and impact-oriented.