The EY Foundation has formally became a supporter of ESADE’s Institute for Social Innovation. The agreement – signed today by Eugenia Bieto, Director General of Esade, and Maite Ballester, President of the EY Foundation – reaffirms the Foundation’s support for the values of entrepreneurship and innovation through various initiatives carried out each year by the Institute for Social Innovation.

The EY Foundation has long shown interest in the initiatives of the Institute for Social Innovation. Two weeks ago, the Foundation provided support for the Institute’s Annual Conference in Barcelona, which focused on social innovation, corporate social responsibility, social enterprises and non-profit initiatives, and which brought together more than 300 attendees on Esade’s Barcelona campus. Under the new agreement, the EY Foundation will join the Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem for Women in Spain, a new research project that aims to offer a clear image of Spanish women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by highlighting success stories and answering questions such as the following: Do social enterprises created by women have any specific characteristics? What are the main barriers that social entrepreneurs face? What are the main levers of change that could enhance women’s participation in social entrepreneurship?

Another initiative that the Institute for Social Innovation, led by Ignasi Carreras, will promote alongside the EY Foundation is the creation of a Social Innovation Laboratory – an open, creative ecosystem in which participants from various disciplines and sectors can come together to address the main social challenges and identify solutions.

Mr. Carreras commented: “Collaboration between the EY Foundation and the Institute for Social Innovation will enhance the creation and transfer of knowledge of innovation and social entrepreneurship in order to strengthen the capabilities of various types of organisations seeking to address the social and environmental challenges that our society faces.”

Ms. Ballester commented: “At EY, we believe it is crucial for our society to assume and promote the values of entrepreneurship, because we are convinced that an entrepreneurial society is a society capable of facing the challenges posed by the increasingly complex environment we live in.”