Social enterprises to address needs in southern Italy
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Organizations in Naples, Palermo, and Potenza, Italy, are building the Social Innovation District of the Mediterranean, a network aiming to create 14 new social enterprises between 2027 and 2029.
The project follows the Social Business model developed by Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Grameen Bank. FOQUS. Fondazione Quartieri Spagnoli will serve as the project’s methodological hub, sharing expertise and training with other involved organizations.
The initiative will launch diverse businesses responding to local needs. In Naples’ Quartieri Spagnoli neighborhood, a chocolate manufactory will employ young people with autism, Down syndrome, and psychotic disorders. Potenza will see the creation of a Repair Café, a community workshop fixing broken items, and a Renewable Energy Community, allowing residents to collectively produce and consume energy. Palermo will focus on a catering service run by immigrant women, along with educational and social enterprises.
The project also includes a fund to support young and female entrepreneurs and seeks to connect Southern Italy with other regions of the Mediterranean as a hub for social innovation. International organizations like RFK for Human Rights and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair are partnering in the effort, and the district plans to bring in experts from the Yunus Centre in Dhaka. The fourteen enterprises are expected to be established over the next three years.
