"Our purpose is to create quality jobs, not just to generate profits"

The Faculty of Business Studies at Mondragon Unibertsitatea, located in Oñati, hosted the 23rd Conference of the International Association for the Economics of Participation (IAFEP) from 8 to 10 July. The conference is one of the leading international forums for research on the economics of participation, cooperatives, shared ownership and democratic enterprises.

MONDRAGON: a business model that combines competitiveness and social purpose

The closing session featured Pello Rodríguez, President of MONDRAGON, who shared the MONDRAGON Corporation's strategic vision with participants and defended a business model in which competitiveness and social purpose go hand in hand.

"Our purpose is to create jobs, to create good jobs and to create quality jobs. It is not just about making profits"

During his address, Rodríguez explained that MONDRAGON's strategic plan explicitly integrates the business and social dimensions, placing quality employment, competitiveness and community development at the core of the Corporation's strategy. He also stressed that competitiveness is essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the cooperative project and its ability to continue generating employment and prosperity.

"Without competitiveness, there is no business, and without business, there is no employment"

The President of MONDRAGON also highlighted generational renewal as one of the Corporation's main future challenges. He underlined the importance of listening to young people, incorporating their perspectives into the cooperative project and preparing future leaders to preserve MONDRAGON's values of solidarity, trust and identity, while fostering innovation and responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing business environment.

"Our strategic plan combines the business dimension with the social dimension"

Following his presentation, Rodríguez took part in a question-and-answer session lasting nearly half an hour, responding to researchers from different countries on topics including MONDRAGON's cooperative model, governance, intercooperation, internationalisation and the Corporation's future challenges.

A meeting point for international research

The conference brought together around 90 researchers and experts from 15 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Canada, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Uruguay. Over the course of the three-day event, around 55 papers were presented in parallel sessions covering topics such as democratic governance, employee participation, sustainability, innovation, artificial intelligence and the economic and social impact of cooperatives.

A conference that strengthens international partnerships

The conference strengthened ties between the international academic community and MONDRAGON's cooperative ecosystem, creating new opportunities for research, collaboration and knowledge transfer in the field of participatory business models.

MONDRAGON, a benchmark for the international scientific community

The event also provided a valuable opportunity to showcase both Mondragon Unibertsitatea and the MONDRAGON Cooperative Experience internationally, fostering knowledge exchange with leading researchers and reinforcing scientific collaboration networks in the field of the social and participatory economy.

This year's conference also marked the twentieth anniversary of the previous IAFEP conference held in Oñati, reinforcing the long-standing relationship between IAFEP and Mondragon Unibertsitatea.

In addition to the scientific sessions, the programme included a keynote lecture, a round table on the future of research into participatory enterprises and visits to MONDRAGON cooperatives, enabling participants to experience first-hand a business model that continues to attract strong interest from the international academic community.