Digital Transformation & Social Economy: Evaluating Platform Model Adoption in Barcelona

The digital revolution has led to the digitization of the economy, giving rise to a platform economy. This new model is rapidly growing and significantly affects various economic sectors. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated this process. The social economy is also experiencing the effects of this phenomenon and has the potential to support the advancement of alternative digitalization models. This study examines the adoption of platform business models within the social economy, with a focus on professionalization, integration of gender-egalitarian practices, and the embrace of open and free knowledge and software. To achieve this, an analysis of twenty-seven social economy entities in Barcelona was conducted, utilizing data collected from an online questionnaire, semi-structuredinterviews, web observations, and follow-up notes. These cases are part of the Barcelona UOC Chair in the Digital Economy, supported by the Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Activa and Open University of Catalonia. The research findings reveal limitations in the adoption of platform models, including a shortage of digital strategy staff, limited evaluation of the digital impact and organizational models that lack comprehensive integration of the gender perspective. Additionally, there are challenges in adopting the Free/Libre and Open-Source Software (FLOSS) tools.