COGITO

Mining standards: Turning opportunity into local-development reality

Reading Time: 3 minutesIt is the “paradox of proximity”: communities nearest a mine feel its impacts first, yet often lack the skills, finance or infrastructure to secure jobs and contracts. How can these opportunities be turned into outcomes?

La economía social y solidaria en Cataluña: claves del éxito

Reading Time: 4 minutesLa economía social y solidaria catalana no nació solo de la ley: desde 2016, catorce “Ateneus Cooperatius” y redes comunitarias han creado más de 1100 cooperativas. ¿Bastará ahora la política para sostener lo que crearon?

When the copper party ends… can mining regions make the gains last?

Reading Time: 3 minutesCopper booms do not last for ever. Prices rise, investment pours in and mining regions expand. Then the cycle turns. The obvious question for places that depend on mining is: what remains when it does?

How cities borrow ideas and make them work locally

Reading Time: 4 minutesCities often look to one another for solutions to challenges ranging from housing shortages and climate risks to infrastructure pressures and social inequalities. How can cities bridge the gap between inspiration and implementation?

The social and solidarity economy in Catalonia: Secrets to success

Reading Time: 4 minutesCatalonia’s social and solidarity economy wasn’t built by legislation alone: fourteen Cooperative Hubs and community networks came first, creating over 1,100 cooperatives since 2016. As legal recognition arrives, can policy alone sustain what communities already built?

Beyond buffaloes: Building a social enterprise in Laos

Reading Time: 4 minutesIn rural Laos, Laos Buffalo Dairy rents pregnant buffaloes from farmers, supporting rural families while producing milk commercially, sustaining livelihoods without disrupting traditional local farming practices. But can shared value be a lasting business model?

Putting people at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery

Reading Time: 5 minutesIn Ivano-Frankivsk, Promprylad Foundation retrains displaced people, veterans and women for in-demand local jobs, supporting 30,000+ people and 600+ new jobs since 2022. Can community-led models like this reshape how we think about post-war economic recovery?

Can MENA’s digital finance boom close the gender gap?

Reading Time: 4 minutesAsk whether digital finance is helping women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) overcome old barriers and the honest answer is: both, at the same time. But is access enough to drive real growth?

When density pays back: Using densification to finance social housing in São Paulo

10 October 2025 Thomas Kergonou Jimenez - (OECD)

Reading Time: 3 minutesOver the last decade, housing costs in big cities soared by 68% – far higher than in smaller cities or rural areas – stretching household budgets, and pricing young people and families out of urban centres. São Paulo offers a glimpse of what’s possible when cities use densification not just to build higher, but to build fairer. Can São Paulo’s new approach show the way for other cities?

Italy’s next wave: Creating purpose-driven entrepreneurs

09 October 2025 Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR)

Reading Time: 3 minutesItaly has always been a land of entrepreneurs. SMEs are crucial to the economic growth of Italy, accounting for around 80% of employment and generating more than 65% of the nation’s added value.  But what about the next generation? How are Italian universities preparing young people to innovate? How are they training entrepreneurs to align economic goals with social and environmental responsibility? What is Italy’s next step?

The green transition of SMEs: A tale from Portugal’s textile and clothing industry

26 September 2025 Marco Marchese - (OECD) and António Braz Costa - (CITEVE and CeNTI)

Reading Time: 4 minutesPortugal shows that the green transition in textiles is both a climate imperative and a business opportunity to reshape production, secure jobs, and meet global demand for sustainable fashion. With SMEs at the core, progress must come from the bottom up, backed by coherent top-down policies. As the fashion cycle accelerates, so too does its environmental footprint – and the need to change our approach.

Unlocking youth potential: Creating a future that feels possible

24 September 2025 María Camila Páez - (OECD Youthwise)

Reading Time: 3 minutesIn OECD countries, around 1 in 8 young people fall between the two and become “NEETs” – those neither working, studying, nor receiving training. In Latin America, it is 1 in 4 young people. But NEETs are not just a problem. They represent an opportunity – a vast pool of talent, full of skills and enthusiasm. With the right support, they can become a powerful and positive force for change.

Agentic AI for Small Business Growth 

16 September 2025 Richard Nash - (PayPal)

Reading Time: 4 minutesPredictive AI has served SMEs well, offering insights through data analysis and pattern recognition. However, Agentic AI goes further.

Rural renewal: Lessons from the Loire and beyond

16 September 2025 John Austin - (EI)

Reading Time: 4 minutesHow can France’s Loire Valley, long known for castles and wine, offer lessons for rural renewal today? Communities are turning heritage, agriculture, and local leadership into engines of social and economic revival with relevance far beyond the region.

Paris&Co : L’innovation territoriale au service d’un futur durable

15 September 2025 Pierre Begou (Paris&Co)

Reading Time: 4 minutesComment les villes peuvent-elles bâtir un écosystème entrepreneurial qui soutient une croissance à la fois durable, inclusive et locale ? Paris est un bon exemple.

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Industrial strategy has a geography puzzle: Where should countries invest?