IICADD, ICA partner to expand global access to cooperative knowledge
The partnership will promote the collection, sharing and dissemination of research, publications and other resources through PortailCoop, a digital platform developed and managed by IICADD
BRUSSELS, November 6, 2026 – The Institut international des coopératives Alphonse-et-Dorimène-Desjardins [ IICADD ] at HEC Montréal and the International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] have signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] to strengthen the sharing and accessibility of knowledge on cooperatives and mutuals worldwide.
The partnership will promote the collection, sharing and dissemination of research, publications and other resources through PortailCoop, a digital platform developed and managed by IICADD.
The platform currently provides access to more than 37,000 resources in 36 languages, covering over 150 years of cooperative history and drawing on information from 84 countries.
It brings together materials from more than 4,100 organisations, including over 10,000 institutional reports, more than 500 practical tools and about 900 audio and video resources.
Registration is free and open to the public, with users able to access the resources by creating an account.
Under the agreement, IICADD and the ICA, working through its Committee on Cooperative Research [ICA CCR], will encourage researchers, educators, cooperative practitioners and organisations to contribute resources to the platform.
The partnership will also seek to strengthen links between academic research and the practical experience of cooperative organisations worldwide.
Partnership to strengthen cooperative movement
The collaboration is aligned with the ICA’s 2026–2030 strategy, Practice, Promote, and Protect, which highlights the importance of data, research and evidence in strengthening the global cooperative movement.
The strategy recognises the role of reliable information and research in supporting informed decision-making, raising the visibility of cooperatives and increasing their influence.
Cynthia Giagnocavo, Global Chairperson of the ICA Committee on Cooperative Research, said sound research was essential to building a strong body of cooperative knowledge.
“Sound research is the cornerstone of building a cooperative body of knowledge based on evidence and rigorous methodologies. Cooperative education and management depend on it,” she said.
Giagnocavo said the committee welcomed the role PortailCoop would play in consolidating accessible cooperative knowledge and research.
Inmaculada Buendia Martinez, Director of PortailCoop at IICADD, said the platform was established to make knowledge about cooperatives and mutuals more visible, accessible and widely shared.
She said the partnership with the ICA would broaden the reach of cooperative research and encourage greater exchange of knowledge across the global cooperative movement.
Call for contributions
The two organisations have invited researchers, educators, practitioners and cooperative organisations worldwide to contribute research, publications, reports and other relevant materials to PortailCoop.
The initiative is intended to make existing cooperative knowledge more accessible while strengthening the link between research, education and practice.
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