Conecta2: Creating networks for a collaborative economy

In 2017 ConQuito carried out an analysis on the problems of collaboration and eco-efficience of the companies. As a result, they identified the lack mechanisms to articulate private stakeholders and underutilized resources, including those that have completed their cycle and can be reintegrated into the collaborative economy (eco-efficient resources).

To face this challenge, the Initiative Conecta2 was selected for contributing to the circular economy using eco-efficient resources in the Ponciano Alto industrial park in Quito. Thanks to the strategic public-private alliances, the platform currently operates at the national level.

Conecta2 is a web platform to create smart business networks based on the collaborative and circular economy. This platform collects information of underutilized industrial resources so that they can be found and used by other entrepreneurships that require it. It generates economic, social and environmental impacts.

Companies can capitalize their production surpluses by selling them to entrepreneurships that require these supplies for their production, fostering the mutual benefit and the efficient use of resources. Communication is essential to raise awareness on the participation in this initiative, not only for the production and economic benefits but as a contribution for the sustainable development of the city. Conecta2 focuses on generating data through the establishment of the value chain. Companies register their underutilized resources, both inbound and outbound, in a virtual platform that maps resources in real time and the algorithm connects the supply with the resources’ demand.

The initiative has currently 228 registered users (companies and entrepreneurships). 119 users are in Quito, and 23% (53) belong to the food sector.

The platform offers quantifiable information of the money and resources managed for the companies to know their financial gains, how they can optimize their resources, and their environmental contributions.

As an added value, the initiative promotes the establishment of collaboration commitments through an evaluation scheme of the operations with counterparts to guarantee the quality of services and promote the sustainability of the synergies generated.

Conecta2 is working on expanding the scope of its operation. They will seek to include society, from a neighborhood approach, not necessarily linking with companies, but making proposals. They also propose the creation of communities to facilitate exchanges, for example, by the types of productive sectors, such as the restaurateur; by type of products, such as textiles; and by geographic location to promote neighborhood-scale exchanges.

Conecta2 is a direct contribution for the Resilience Strategy of Quito in its Axis “Solid and recursive economy” by promoting the economic growth of small and medium producers and strengthening the local economy. It also contributes to the Axis “Sustainable and robust environment” by promoting environmentally efficient production and consumption models; and to Axis “Empowered and inclusive citizenship” through the construction of networks for exchange.

Implementing the Concecta2 experience in other cities could foster the circular economy and compromise the private sector in the sustainable development of the cities.

“Conecta2 is an initiative that helps to show that a new economy is possible if we all stay connected to each other.”
Patricio Ulloa, Founder of Conecta2