Cooperatives increasingly operate in contexts characterized by limited economic, material, and human resources, while at the same time being rich in social capital, local relationships, and shared knowledge. In this scenario, the ability to innovate depends not only on access to new resources, but also on the capacity to recognize, reinterpret, and enhance the ones that already exist within communities and organizations. 

This form of innovation, often associated to the phenomenon of frugal innovation, has been defined using various concepts, such as upcycling, bricolage, and exaptation, each reflecting a particular perspective: design, social, and economic dimensions.  

The event “Cooperatives and Innovation: Enhancing Existing Resources” explored the potential of this type of innovation within the cooperative sector by bringing together theoretical contributions, design approaches, and concrete experiences from the local area. Through presentations focused on upcycling, material reuse, and collaborative networks, the initiative highlighted how cooperatives can act as enabling infrastructures, capable of transforming latent resources into shared opportunities for the community. 

Particular attention was dedicated to practices of material recovery and creative reuse, the development of new collaborations among local stakeholders, and the promotion of design approaches oriented toward social and economic sustainability.  

The event started with a hands-on practice of inventing new objects by reusing and recontextualizing existing materials in the MAMA cave. Valuable contributions were offered by Aart van Bezooijen, unibz, who introduced a design approach to upcycling, as well as by Alessandro Narduzzo and Francesca Zoccarato, unibz, who reflected on innovation through existing resources. Additional inspiring examples were presented by the speakers of the three local initiatives involved in the event. Katrin Gruber from Cooperative Alto Mare, Carola Kurz from Association REX and Emily Guerra from Materialinitiative Südtirol, presenting concrete experiences related to material recovery, creative reuse, and collaborative networks. 

The event provided participants with perspectives, tools, and inspiration to rethink services, activities, and organizational models through a greater focus on existing resources, fostering accessible, replicable, and sustainable solutions in the long term. 

A special thanks goes to all speakers, contributors, and participants for sharing their experiences, ideas, and commitment throughout the event, helping to create an open and inspiring dialogue around innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.