“Technology should not be a force beyond our control, but a tool that communities can appropriate for their own benefit.” — Jacob Matthew Drum
Ahead of the Global Innovation Coop Summit 2025 (GICS), we met with Jacob Matthew Drum (JMD), Director at the Collective Business Cooperation Consortium, who will be leading a panel discussion on a hot topic: the role of cooperatives in the technological shift.
GICS: Why talk about technological sovereignty at a cooperative summit?
JMD : Because our societies are becoming increasingly dependent on a small number of private technology players that concentrate power and data. Cooperatives, with their democratic governance and local roots, offer a different path: they can give communities control over their own digital tools.
GICS: Is it realistic to think that cooperatives can compete with the digital giants?
JMD: It’s not about competing with or copying GAFAM, but about building something else. Cooperatives can create solutions tailored to their members: service platforms, shared infrastructure, data management tools that serve users rather than shareholders. Several examples already exist, and they show that it is possible on our scale.
GICS: What social issues does this question raise?
JMD: Technology is becoming one of the main drivers of inequality. But thanks to cooperative initiatives, it could instead further strengthen inclusion, autonomy and trust. Technology should not be a force beyond our control, but a tool that communities can appropriate for their own benefit.
Q: What would you like participants to take away from your panel?
JMD: I would like participants to remember that digital transformation is a priority for strengthening the development and effectiveness of our cooperatives. When done right, it can become a powerful lever for autonomy and innovation, directly benefiting those who use and govern these technologies.
👉 The panel discussion moderated by Jacob Matthew Drum will take place during the Global Innovation Coop Summit 2025 in Torres Vedras, Portugal.
