Digital Infrastructure for the Community Economy

Our existing economic systems are mostly focused on profit and growth. Day by day, more people are realizing that this image of 'infinite growth' is problematic or even unsustainable. The call for a transition to a more social, democratic and ecologically sustainable economy is getting louder. But what does an economy look like that goes beyond mere economic gain and that strives for positive social impact for the community?

The principles of the community economy provide a good guideline to further implement this: here, mission-driven, social (impact) businesses and non-profits are central. They integrate social impact into all facets of the business or organization, connected by being locally rooted. Most of the profits and surpluses here are reinvested in local impact that keeps the value generated with the entrepreneurs or in the neighborhood and is not skimmed off by shareholders elsewhere.

How can technology help?

To further drive this economy, it is important to explore how technology can support and strengthen this cooperative ecosystem so that resilience is strengthened. What is digitally possible, and what supporting tools, underlying infrastructures and data management models are needed to do so? Instead of large technology platforms that primarily extract value, we want to promote the development and use of digital assets that are rooted in democratic ownership and focused on creating a multiplicity of values. This means that profits do not leak away to shareholders with no connection to the environment, but rather are reinvested in the local economy, so that the value stays with the entrepreneurs or in the neighbourhood.

This project explores what kind of support digital technology can provide to the development of a locally-rooted, social economy in the city of Amsterdam. It also works toward a roadmap that outlines what actions can be taken to make it happen. The results of this study will be delivered to the City of Amsterdam. Amsterdam has made a priority of strengthening the local economy within its economic policy, whery local interests for the city should outweigh the interests of economic actors outside the city. In addition, the results are in line with the municipality's goal of ensuring the city's digital independence.