On Thursday, 24 October, Legacoop Emilia-Romagna celebrated the 25th anniversary of Coopstartup Bellacoopia at the Cinema Modernissimo in Bologna, marking an important milestone as part of the Biennale dell’Economia Cooperativa.
Legacoop’s most famous event for discussion and public debate, the Biennale was officially opened by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who delivered a moving speech on cooperation. The more than 150 finalists of the 25th regional final of Coopstartup Bellacoopia were able to listen to the speech via live streaming.
Six student projects from various institutes in Emilia-Romagna took part in the competition, presenting their virtual cooperative business projects with the valuable support of their professors and Legacoop’s local tutors.
A panel of experts from the Emilia-Romagna cooperative movement engaged with the classes, providing useful suggestions for the projects. Ultimately, they awarded thematic prizes to all the business ideas in the competition that stood out for their strong focus on sustainability, respect for the environment and society, and technological innovation:
- Responsible Consumption Award: WATERWISE – 4°F, “Marconi Da Vinci” Higher Education Institute, Piacenza
- Energy Transition Award: SOLAR BOOST – 5°A, “Fermo Corni” Technical Industrial Institute, Modena
- Sustainable Business Award: RONDANI ENTERTAINMENT – 5°D “C. Rondani” Higher Education Institute, Parma
- Responsible Business Award: ECO CHIC WEAR – 5°A “G. Carducci” High School, Ferrara
- Social Innovation Award: MGNT WEAR – 5°ALES “Alessandro Da Imola” Social Economics High School, Imola
- Responsible Innovators Award: METAMORPHOSIS ECO DESIGN – 5°C “G. Chierici” Artistic High School, Reggio Emilia
The morning began with a speech by Paolo Barbieri, President of Legacoop Estense and CPL Concordia. He was involved in the Bellacoopia project and now holds positions of great responsibility within the Legacoop movement.
This was followed by an interactive debate entitled ‘Young People, Cooperation and the Future: a Possible Equation?’, led by Eugenio Radin (@whitewhalecafe) and Fabrizio Monari, a journalist at TR Media. Together, they emphasised that despite the precariousness of today’s society, younger generations can find the key to building a more secure and stronger future in cooperation.
There was also much anticipation for previews of the next edition, which will address themes such as artificial intelligence, the social economy and sustainability in line with the constant evolution of society.
