An international ideas laboratory lands at MONDRAGON

It is a working group called ICETT (International Cooperative Entrepreneurship Think Tank) endorsed by the ICA (International Cooperative Alliance) and made up of large cooperative groups worldwide. Their objective is, on the one hand, to get to know each other and, on the other hand, to share experiences and reflections on the present and future of cooperativism. Groups such as Rabobank (Netherlands), NCG (USA), Euricse (Italy), SOK Group (Finland), NACF (South Korea), IFFCO (India), Kibbutz (Israel) or Smart Cooperative (Belgium) are members of this laboratory of ideas. And his first stop was at MONDRAGON in order to learn about the Cooperative Experience. A three-day event in which they did a bit of everything: reception at the Arrasate town hall by the mayoress, Maria Ubarretxena, work sessions in Otalora, visits (Copreci, Guggenheim, Donostia Aquarium, Basque Culinary center) presentation of the General Council of Cooperatives and Konfekoop and a meeting with the mayor of Donostia-San Sebastian, Eneko Goia.

We collect below the testimonials of some people who are taking part in this project.

Bruno Roelants, ICA Director General

"This visit helps to understand the logic of MONDRAGON"

This visit has served to eliminate preconceived ideas about MONDRAGON and has helped to understand its logic, its history, its organization and its future challenges. Likewise, it is being a great learning experience that serves to underline its relevance in the cooperative field and a very interesting journey for this node of reflection.

Hans Groeneveld, Rabobank (The Netherlands)

"We learn together from our successes and our mistakes"

Obviously, I had heard of MONDRAGON, but this has been the first time I've been here. It has been a very instructive visit, about its history, its organization and its strategies. Really interesting. Node members are leading cooperatives from around the world who learn from their own experiences, their organization, their milestones, their strategies, and their mistakes.

Merav Niv / Shlomit Zimmering, Kibbutz (Israel)

"The MONDRAGON model is very advanced"

It's our first time and we were waiting for it. MONDRAGON is well known and it's like coming home, because we speak the same language that, at the same time, feeds our complicity. We have found that MONDRAGON is a very advanced model and we have been surprised by the importance they give to the education of the members of the bodies. We have learned some things that we would like to implement in the Kibbutz.

Marjaana Saarikoski, SOK Group (Finland)

"The cooperative model is a model for the future"

I am really impressed with MONDRAGON and what has surprised me the most is its industrial scope. In this laboratory of ideas we try to identify new services taking into account the challenges of the new times: new consumption habits, energy crisis, climate challenges, geopolitical issues, sustainability... a new context that requires permanent adaptation. I am convinced that the cooperative model is a model for the future, with our principles and values and with profitable businesses.