iCOOP KOREA, a consumer co-op federations, established ‘the Natural Dream Park’ consisting of 19 factories and houses in Gurye, South Jeolla Province that use local resources to manufacture products with the investment of members and producers. This region is located the farthest from Seoul, and has lost over half of its population in the last 50 years. In this context, ‘Concern for Community’, the 7th principle of co-operatives is a priority not only for the food manufacturing facility, but also to revitalize the culture and lives of the local community by providing cultural facilities such as cinemas, restaurants, cafes, accommodation, etc. and by supporting health service and education. As a result, young generations have been returning back to the region and the population decline has been reversed through the hiring of 450 people in the Park.

The Mondragon Corporation is a real success story of the development of social economy in the fundamental industrial sector, with significant developments in areas such as the university, research, retail, finances, and services to private companies and public administrations, among others. Its co-operative base still prevails at present, despite its size. Its impact on the economic and technological development of the Basque Country in particular and on the Spanish state as a whole as well as its basis of socially sustainable economy and its international scope make Mondragon a paradigm of the social economy which can serve as an example for start-ups. Its development in demanding business sectors has allowed it to evolve with innovative methodologies and practical experiences in other areas, such as regional development or city and governement strategies, among others.

The Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland, Ohio in the United States bring together philanthropy, nonprofit technical assistance, and city government to redirect institutional spending by hospitals, universities, and other place-based partners and seed cooperative enterprises. In so doing, and embedded in a broader Greater University Circle Initiative, along with other social inclusion initiatives, the partners aim to reverse long-term economic dislocation in the Rust Belt. Today, after a decade’s work, three Evergreen Cooperatives employ 120 residents from low-income, African American neighborhoods. These businesses include an energy-efficient commercial laundry, an energy and construction business that does solar and LED lighting installation, and a one-and-a-half-hectare hydroponic greenhouse. Although modest, the businesses are growing, with more in development. Furthermore, other U.S. cities have taken notice, with some passing legislation to encourage worker cooperative development, while others, such as Richmond, Virginia and Rochester, New York, are in the process of developing similar community-based business networks in their cities.