Spotlight on Konstantinos Papadakis, an advocate for social economy and sustainable territorial development who has recently become an Ambassador for the Proximity and Social Economy Platform. Konstantinos serves as the President of the Union of Social and Solidarity Economy Organizations of Crete (CretanSCENT) and represents PASE KALO in the Expert group on social economy and social enterprises (GECES) and in Social Economy Europe (SEE). Konstantinos works to promote inclusive and community-driven economic models that strengthen regional resilience. As a member of several national and EU-level monitoring committees on social economy, CAP strategic planning, and regional development, I am dedicated to advancing policies and steering funding from ESF+, ERDF and EAFRD/EAGF to supporting social enterprises and cooperative models across different economic ecosystems. 

As an Ambassador of the EU Platform for Proximity and Social Economy, Konstantinos views this initiative as a key driver for bridging policy and practice across Europe. Each Ambassador has a thematic focus, which in this case is Urban and Rural Wellbeing. In this theme, social economy enterprises can contribute to building sustainable, interconnected communities, addressing the challenges of demographic change, economic disparities, and access to essential services. In their role, Ambassadors are tasked to align EU policies across industrial ecosystems and advocate for reforms that integrate social economy enterprises into the green and digital transitions, ensuring their recognition as key players in local and regional development strategies.