2nd EMES International Conference

The 2nd Emes International Conference on Social Enterprises was held in Trento from July 1st to 4th, 2009. More than 150 researchers from 36 counties from all over the world gathered to discuss management issues, theoretical and empirical analyses, innovation, conceptual aspects, legal frameworks, public policies, institutional framework and other important aspects of social enterprise.

Interview with Carlo Borzaga
Interview with Gianluca Salvatori
Interview with Flaviano Zandonai
Interview with Antonio Fici
Interview with Leonardo Becchetti
Interview with Victor Pestoff
 

Plenary sessions - video



Conference Scientific Committee

* Ash Amin, Durham University
* Carlo Borzaga, University of Trento, Italy
* Jacques Defourny, University of Liege, Belgium
* Lars Hulgård, Roskilde University, Denmark
* Jean-Louis Laville, CNAM/LISE, France
* Ewa Les, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
* Alex Nicholls, Oxford University, United Kingdom
* Marthe Nyssens, Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
* Roger Spear, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
* Dennis Young, Georgia State University, United States

Created in 1996, EMES has developed into a leading research network focused on the study of social enterprises and third sector organizations. On the basis of a large European research project carried out over five years, the Network organized the 1st EMES International Conference, titled "The Social Enterprise. A comparative perspective", at the University of Trento in 2001. This event and the first EMES book, The Emergence of Social Enterprise (Routledge, 2001), launched the topic of “social enterprise” as a research theme on the European scene. They also succeeded in promoting a more widespread knowledge of the concept of social enterprise, both in Europe and outside Europe, and pinpointed new research themes that have been thoroughly investigated in recent years.
EMES also promotes the development of innovative analytical frameworks on social enterprise among scholars engaged in third sector research through events such as the European conferences co-organized with the International Society for Third Sector Research in 2005 and 2008. EMES has been publishing the results of its research in the form of seminal books and a Working Papers series (the latter is available at www.emes.net).

Euricse is a newly established research centre that is committed to further developing research and training activities carried out by the Institute for the Development of Non-profit Organizations (ISSAN – University of Trento). It was founded by the Federazione Trentina delle Cooperazione, the University of Trento, Cooperatives Europe, the Province of Trento, and the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio of Trento and Rovereto. It is devoted to the study of co-operatives and social enterprises along various disciplinary perspectives. EURICSE is a centre for analysis and debate with a high scientific profile open to collaboration with the scientific community and, in particular, young researchers. The Institute also interacts directly with cooperatives and social enterprises themselves (see www.euricse.eu).

The Iris Network is an Italian Network that gathers research institutes aiming to study social enterprises in Italy. It was established to support and disseminate empirical research and theoretical studies, with the goal of favouring a deeper understanding of social enterprises. Against this background, IRIS promotes debates and exchanges among institutes, research centres, universities and individual researchers, while also favouring the involvement of social entrepreneurs (see www.irisnetwork.it).
 
SUMMARY REPORT: 2ND EMES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL ENTERPRISES