Miquel Sàmper: "Cooperativism is no longer an emerging sector, but a structural player in the Catalan economy"

With 4,843 active cooperatives in Catalonia, the model gains weight in key sectors, strengthens the generation of stable and quality employment, and is projected as a strategic piece of the productive fabric and the economic and social transformation of the country.

What moment is cooperativism experiencing in Catalonia?

— It is experiencing a moment of maturity, with 4,843 active cooperatives. We are no longer talking about an emerging sector, but about a structural player in the Catalan economy, with a presence in multiple sectors and the capacity to generate stable employment. Cooperativism has proven to be a competitive, resilient business model capable of responding to very diverse economic and social challenges.

What is its degree of territorial implementation?

— It is a very rooted model. The Barcelona demarcation concentrates the majority of cooperatives (70%), but cooperativism has a significant presence in Lleida, Girona, Tarragona, and Terres de l'Ebre. 

What does this diversification imply?

— It implies that cooperativism is no longer a model linked to specific sectors. It is present in areas such as consumption, services, care, education, technology, energy, or agri-food, but also in strategic industrial activities. This demonstrates its capacity for adaptation and response to new economic challenges.

Who are some of the main figures of Catalan cooperativism?

— We have very relevant examples such as the pharmaceutical services cooperative Fedefarma; the Ivars Cooperative, Agrocat, Cotecnica, Actel or Cadí in the agri-food sector; Suara in the care sector; Abacus in the cultural and educational sector; Som Energia in the energy transition or SCIAS-Hospital de Barcelona in the health sector. They are companies that compete in demanding markets and demonstrate the capacity of cooperativism to generate economic activity and social impact. In recent years, the social aspect of cooperativism has also consolidated its roots in Catalonia. Examples include the Som Punt cooperative, located in l'Espluga Calba, or Tallers Àuria and CIPO, two special employment centers established as industrial cooperatives.

What role have public policies played in this growth?

— They have been a facilitating element. This year we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Social Economy Program, during which tools such as Cooperative Athenaeums, Singular Projects or Transversal Projects have been deployed. In this period, nearly 160 million euros have been mobilized to promote new projects, consolidate cooperatives and generate quality employment.

What have these resources been primarily intended for?

— To create the conditions for social economy initiatives to grow and consolidate. We have supported new business projects, innovation processes, intercooperation, and job creation. The objective has always been to strengthen an economic model that creates both economic and social value.

Recently, the department has launched a line of grants to incorporate worker partners. What is its objective?

— We want to reinforce one of the distinctive features of cooperativism: people's participation in the ownership and management of the company. This line facilitates the incorporation of new worker members, promotes generational succession, and contributes to the growth and consolidation of cooperatives.

Access to financing continues to be one of the sector's challenges?

— Yes. That is why we have promoted Financoop, a collaboration instrument between financial entities of the social economy that aims to facilitate access to financing and strengthen the growth opportunities of cooperative projects. If we want the sector to gain dimension, we must continue improving the financial instruments available to it.

Cooperativism also appears as a commitment within the National Pact for Industry. Why?

— Because industrial cooperativism has great development potential. It can contribute to preserving productive activity, generating quality employment, and strengthening business roots in the territory. It is a strategic area in which we want to continue advancing in the coming years.

Housing is one of the main concerns of citizens. What role can cooperativism play in this?

— A very important role. Housing cooperatives are driving innovative formulas that facilitate access to housing with more stable, affordable, and sustainable models. For this reason, we have promoted a new line of subsidies within Singular Projects to strengthen these types of projects and broaden their impact. This new line, called HabitatgESS, aims to promote housing cooperatives. The call for applications is scheduled for this July.

Work is also underway on a future law on social and solidarity economy. What will it bring?

— It will represent a very important step forward. The law must consolidate the institutional recognition of the social and solidarity economy, provide the sector with a stable framework, and strengthen its role within the Catalan economic model. It is a tool that must accompany the new stage of growth and consolidation of the sector. It is a law that has been long worked on and agreed upon with the sector, which will provide more tools to both cooperativism and the other families of the social economy.

What place should cooperativism occupy in the economic future of Catalonia?

— It must be a central piece of the country's economic transformation. In a context of green, digital, and industrial transition, cooperativism brings competitiveness, social cohesion, and territorial roots. The challenge is to continue gaining dimension, strengthen its presence in strategic sectors, and consolidate it as one of the tools that Catalonia has to face the great economic and social challenges of the future.