Re-vitalize the Swedish cooperative sector Gordon HAHN, chairman, Coompanion & director of SERUS Reykjavik

Mission of Coompanion Coompanion support co-operatives to increase in numbers by start-up activities to be widely known and recognized to grow and to act as a role model in every industry and sector to operate on equal conditions with other forms of enterprising

Our task is to … inform, provide counselling, coach, train and run projects that promote cooperative start-ups and cooperative development in Sweden. create favorable circumstances and conditions for cooperatives and for entrepreneurship in the social economy and local development spheres. During the past 5 years started enterprises with help from Coompanion have increased by 68 % In 2013 was 64 % of the companies founded as cooperatives This has given some new entrepreneurs in Sweden

Who we are 25 regional Coompanions (officies) in each county Approximately 120 employees owned and controlled locally by over 900 members.

The law on economic societies enhances democracy in cooperatives enterprising legitimizes tailor-made business counselling makes cooperatives visible

The Swedish Co-operative model Agricultural (production) co-ops Consumer co-ops – 5/ – 3M members Housing co-ops – HSB 1924 – 550t members Petrol co-ops – 1945 – 1,6M members Funeral co-ops Glory betwen1900 – 1955 Between 1960 – 1980 centralised business structure and de-democrized business structure = Coompanion

The revitalize co-op movement Work integrated social cooperatives (Working coops) Broadband cooperatives for rural establishment (consumer coops) Energy cooperatives (production coops) SME Co-ops Health, education and welfare cooperatives (Mondragon) Attitude changement amongst youngsters to start cooperatives Cooperative juridical form (economic societies) is the only growing form of start-up 2012 and 2013.

Work integration social cooperatives has increased in Sweden since in the Stockholm area with 47 per cent - in Malmö with surroundings with 70 per cent - in Gothenburg with surroundings with 53 per cent 2013 had the three metropolitan regions (Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne,) together around employees in work integration social cooperatives East Sweden Region -> Kooptjänst & Happy Huddik model Today totally approximately 350 work integrated social cooperatives employing approximately people

Broadband co-ops In order to secure full-speed broadband to all areas of Sweden, Co-op solutions has been the driving force. Today, co-ops cover approximately 20 % of the infrastructure of broadband in Sweden But more important; it has been the solution for thousands of households and individuals to access to Internet with full-speed.

Energy co-ops Increased number of Cooperatives in energy production, especially within wind-, solar and biogas energy. Egen Kraft i Sverige Karrydvind Solel i Sala och Heby Biogas Dalsland Qvinnovindar

SME co-ops In cultural and creative sector, we see an increase of co-ops for cooperation between SME. The same trend is for tourism and educational sector. New cooperatives exist primarily in the information and communication sector as well as in arts, entertainment and recreation. Many of the new co-operative enterprises are engaged in health care, school or day care. GeekTownGuide2GiveFröjaSpråkskolan Skäggiga damen

Right now we see a strong trend within the young generation in Sweden; they want to start businesses together. But unfortunately – they don’t know that it is the co-operative business form that matches their values. Many in the new generation wants to change the world and has already thought about sustainable development, solidarity and equal value. We call them …

Our new campaign Generation Cooperation becomes a statement, strongly linked to the co-operative principles.

Attitudes In a survey made 2013 to respondents age the question was: What words do you associate strongly with cooperative entrepreneurship? -> "cooperation" and "community“. Would like to see more cooperatives in health and social care. Enterprise barometer 2012: Half of the population in Sweden would like to start business 62 % of them would like to start together with others 70 % of youngsters (18-30) would like to start together with others Only 35 % of existing enterprises is conducted by 2 or more people in Sweden

Co-operatives in 289 branches… Business and management consultancy Pre-school, child care Art and performance Renting and operating of premises Advertising Wired telecommunications Computing services Sound recording and music publishing Restaurants Collection, treatment and supply of groundwater Comprehensive school and pre-school Social work activities for disabled persons Retail food stores Wind power stations And so on……….

The Swedish Co-operative development 1900 – 1960 Housing co-ops, Consumer co-ops, Agricultural co-ops, Petrol co-ops, Funeral co-ops e.g. (Established cooperative movement) 2000 – 2013 Worker co-ops, insertion co-ops, rural co-ops, health and welfare co-ops, School co-ops, cultural co- ops, SME co-ops

Gordon Hahn Chairman Coompanion Sweden