Mondragon University launches a program to boost the development of circular and social economy startups
Mondragon University launches a program to boost the development of circular and social economy startups
Mondragon University launches a program to boost the development of circular and social economy startups
The project aims to promote the social economy to foster a more social and sustainable model of production and consumption
Mondragon University has launched a program to promote entrepreneurship projects in the field of the circular economy, with the goal of encouraging the social economy and more sustainable ways of producing and consuming. The program has been developed in three leading Spanish cities in innovation and entrepreneurship: Bilbao (Bilbao AS Fabrik), Barcelona (BAC-Barcelona Circular), and Mondragon (Hirekin), and is supported by the Spanish Government’s Circular Economy PERTE.
The project is driven by Mondragon University: the Faculty of Business and its international entrepreneurship network (Mondragon Team Academy) and the Higher Polytechnic School.
Three entrepreneurial projects on the route
In this first edition of the Co-op Route, three entrepreneurial projects have participated, traveling through the different stops of the itinerary: Gama, Duara, and Arkcutt.
Gama is a startup that revalues post-consumption waste, especially textiles from fast, low-cost clothing production, transforming them into furniture, architectural panels, and decorative products.
Duara is a sustainable innovation agency that works to promote the reuse of textile waste, turning it into new materials and products, with the aim of giving it a second life and reducing the environmental impact of the sector.
Arkcutt is a project driven by LEINNers that manufactures customized pieces using a high-powered laser to cut or engrave materials. Its digital platform allows any user to obtain an instant quote, reducing waiting times.
Itinerary
Throughout the route, participants have worked on identifying their development needs and have seen firsthand the spaces, services, and support each node offers, with the aim of facilitating the progress of their projects to the stage they require in their evolution.
The first stop took place in Barcelona, at the Barcelona Circular building (BAC), a benchmark in architectural innovation and sustainability. During the day, the teams got to know technologies and solutions up close and participated in brief, rotating meetings between the participating teams and different ecosystem agents, as well as in a financing roundtable.
The second stage took place in Mondragon, at HIREKIN, a new industrial cooperative innovation space. Here, the XRL tool (Exploitation Readiness Level) was studied in depth. Designed within the framework of the project, it combines technical support and cooperative methodologies in a privileged environment such as Otalora (Mondragon Group). This tool evaluates entrepreneurial projects in various areas: manufacturing, business, communication, impact, investment, and technology, to identify the specific needs of each project and design the route required to improve them.
The Route concluded in Bilbao, at BBF, exploring initiatives such as Social Factory, a program by the Faculty of Business at Mondragon University that supports entrepreneurs, and engaging in dialogue with Konfekoop (the Confederation of Cooperatives of the Basque Country) and Seed Capital Bizkaia (a company attached to the Department of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia). The itinerary was completed with a visit to Torre BAT and the closing at As Fabrik.