Freelancer’s cooperative Smart develops participative online platform

The digitalization of the world of work is advancing, not least as a result of the pandemic; but employees have little influence on it. Smart Coop Austria is taking a different approach: the solidarity-based freelancer’s cooperative is implementing digitization building on the participation of its employees.

Together with the internal team and the Smart freelancers, the cooperative is developing the “Smart Portal”: an integrated online tool for work management, community networking and governance, i.e. collective decision-making in the cooperative. In the future, Smart freelancers will have better control over their work and finances, and their administrative workload will be reduced. They can network better with each other and exercise their cooperative self-determination rights more effectively. After all, as a cooperative, Smart belongs to all its members and is democratically self-governed. The portal also enhances the coop’s transparency. The development of the portal is being funded by AK Wien’s Digifonds 4.0.

What Smart users say:

“Smart is taking care of digitization at exactly the right time – being able to actively shape it gives me full confidence in the future.” (Leila Müller, care4actors)

 

“This new development brings us even closer to an economic community of solidarity, where employees effectively support each other professionally and give each other backup.” (Sebastian Eckhardt, speaker)

 

“Together we can adapt Smart to our needs. This strengthens our own sector, but also solidarity across sectors.” (Sarah Zaharanski, actress)

Instead of separation, the focus is on community and collective self-determination. This brings Smart closer to the ideal of the “Platform Coop”: a non-profit platform company owned by all those who organize their work via the platform.

Inquiries & Contact:

Smart Coop Austria
SMartAt e.Gen.
Sabine Kock
CEO
+43 1 997 44 66 – 001
sabine.kock@smart.coop
www.smart.coop