The Danube4SEecosystem (D4SEE) project officially concluded with its final conference, held on 27 May 2026 in Szekszárd, Hungary. Hosted at the Bodri Winery, the event brought together project partners and stakeholders from across the Danube Region to reflect on the project’s achievements and discuss the future of social economy cooperation in the region.
Representing the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), project partners Dr. Michaela Bruckmayer and Leonie Dworsky, MSc. attended the conference and joined the celebration of the project’s successful completion.
As the lead partner for Specific Objective 1 – Policy Improvement for the Social Economy in the Danube Region, ZSI played a central role in strengthening the policy framework for an inclusive social economy. In this capacity, ZSI led the development of the project’s Policy Recommendation Report, providing evidence-based recommendations to support policymakers across the Danube Region. Furthermore, ZSI coordinated the preparation of the D4SEE Strategy for an Inclusive Social Economy in the Danube Region, which offers a shared strategic vision and practical guidance for fostering resilient and inclusive social economy ecosystems.
Over the course of the project, the partnership achieved several important milestones, including:
the development of a comprehensive strategy and policy recommendations to strengthen the social economy in the Danube Region;
the creation of an innovative digital training platform tailored to the needs of local governments and social economy organisations;
the implementation and testing of pilot actions by project partners, demonstrating practical approaches to supporting social enterprises and inclusive local development.
One of the highlights of the final conference was the International Social Enterprise Pitch Competition. Seven social enterprises from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia presented their innovative initiatives to an international panel of experts, showcasing the diversity and potential of the social economy across the Danube Region.
The successful completion of D4SEE marks an important step towards a more inclusive, resilient, and collaborative social economy ecosystem in the Danube Region. The project’s results provide valuable tools, strategic guidance, and policy recommendations that will continue to support policymakers, local authorities, and social economy actors beyond the project’s lifetime.
