Significant interest was attracted by the event entitled “University and the Social and Solidarity Economy: Innovation Ecosystems”, organised by the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), as part of the “Entrepreneurial and Innovation Proficiency: A Way to Digital Agenda (EPIDA)” European project, currently undergoing by the Research Group as the Greek partner.
The event took place on 17 September 2026 in Athens-Greece (at ETERON venue), and was also streamed online.
The Directorate of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) of the Hellenic Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs honoured the event through its active involvement, while participants included, among others:
- 16 academics from 9 Universities.
- 14 Master’s and PhD students and graduates.
- 13 representatives of public authorities and local government organisations.
- More than 40 representatives of SSE entities.
- A large number of employees and self-employed professionals from various fields, including graphic designers, accountants, economists, psychologists, and others.
The presentations and discussions focused on the role of Higher Education in strengthening Social Innovation, the links between the academic community, public policies and the market, as well as the opportunities offered by digital transformation and open-source software for Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) initiatives.
In addition, the main objectives of the EPIDA project were presented, focusing on the development of digital skills, Circular Learning Mobility, and good practices from the field, highlighting the need for a strong and interconnected ecosystem.
EPIDA is a 30-month project running from September 1, 2025, to February 29, 2028 co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The project is coordinated by Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (Bulgaria), and its consortium comprises Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France), Hellenic Open University-DAISSy Research Group (Greece), Universitatea Lucian Blaga Din Sibiu (Romania), and Universitet Aleksander Xhuvani Elbasan (Albania).
DAISSy-HOU actively participates in all work packages of EPIDA, holding primary responsibility for coordinating the "Circular Learning Mobility" for students and trainers (Task 3.1), as well as the "Temporary Hubs" for the exchange of good practices (Task 3.2).
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
