CoTech 2024: Colchester
CoTech (Co-operative Technologists) is a growing network of tech and digital service co-operatives working to reshape the technology sector in the UK. Through collaboration, they provide a platform to elevate the values and missions of the sustainable and ethical cooperative movement. Each year there is generally a CoTech gathering hosted by one the member agencies where members get together in person for a day or two. These have been held all over the UK in places such London, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham and Newcastle. As members we have attended a number of CoTech gatherings over the year and wanted to give something back by hosting one ourselves especially now we are based in an amazing studio space with lots of options for events. On the 18th of September, Creative Coop proudly hosted the annual CoTech event at our office space within The Minories Art Gallery in Colchester. This year’s event was a fantastic opportunity for new and existing coops to come together, share insights, and discuss the future of the collective.
The day began at 9am with a light breakfast, provided by Commons Café, a cooperative cafe based right here in the Minories. We saw some familiar faces but were also joined by many who are still on their journey to becoming a cooperative. The day was to be split out into sessions, each focusing on an individual topic to present and/or discuss.
Session 1: Show & Tell
The first session of the day was a ‘Show & Tell’ offering members a chance to introduce their cooperatives and discuss the challenges they’ve encountered over the past year. It was an insightful start, with each coop providing a unique perspective on the highs and lows of running a cooperative in today’s ever-changing landscape. From market shifts and scaling difficulties to policy changes and member retention, the common thread was the resilience and adaptability coops bring to problem-solving.
Session 2: The Future of CoTech
After a short break, we split into two groups. The first group session focused on the future of CoTech as a collective. We spoke about the benefits of having a closer relationship with the folks at workers.coop and the potential pooling of our collective power as connected entities. As we talked through some of the issues, it became clear that there was a kind of identity crisis in CoTech. Many of the original founders are no longer operating as part of cooperatives, while founder organisations have changed, shrunk or expanded, and CoTech itself had not met in person for almost 2 years. Many cooperatives were struggling to adjust to majority-remote working environments. So at some point it seemed like a good idea to have a round-the-table poll of “What do you value about CoTech?”
This actually brought out some very good feelings and insights. I think that most people found that they valued the social aspect of CoTech – not just gatherings, but the feeling that you’re part of a network of like-minded people who all want to help and co-operate, share advice, and generally work towards common goals (even if that’s in a quite vague way!)
Everyone wanted the gatherings to continue. There was less consensus on technical matters (should we improve how we collectively bid for work? Should we communicate differently on the website, and if so, how?) but generally there was a very positive feeling that Cotech is a good thing that should continue, and people were willing to commit time and effort to make that happen.
Session 3: Integrating Ai into your Workflow
The second group dove into a session on AI implementation. This session covered how cooperatives can integrate AI into their processes, highlighting its potential benefits while addressing possible legal and ethical dilemmas it can present. Discussions focused on responsible AI use, data privacy concerns, and how coops can maintain their ethical standards while adopting modern technology. As AI becomes increasingly relevant in the tech sector, this session shed light on how cooperatives can approach these tools thoughtfully and responsibly.
AI could be considered as a great tool that might be helpful in various situations, like debugging, learning, looking for an implementation idea or refactoring the existing codebase. And with as any tool, especially with such huge capabilities, it should be used responsibly. You can’t blame a tool for something done with its help. It’s your responsibility to decide whether the suggested solution is acceptable or not.
Session 4: Sharing Business Processes and Workflows
After lunch, (once again provided by Commons Cafe), we reconvened for a session where members were invited to share their business processes and workflows, and the tools they use. This was an excellent opportunity for coops to learn from each other’s operational models, tools, and strategies. We found this session particularly insightful, especially discovering we share many of the same bottleneck issues with certain tools and software.
As a relatively new project manager in the cooperative world, I found it incredibly enriching to connect with other project managers and gain an inside perspective on how different coops function. It was genuinely an eye-opening experience. One thing that truly ignited my enthusiasm was the potential for us all to come together and create a unified tool that seamlessly integrates everything we might need, especially since it feels like we are still on the lookout for that all-encompassing solution.
Session 5: Business Development and the effects of greenwashing
Our last session of the day focused on business development and related areas such as the bidding process, accreditations like B Corp and the effects of Greenwashing. There is a general feeling that the space we generally target is becoming increasingly saturated. We shared proposals and discussed how agencies are often bidding against each other within CoTech without even realising and how that is causing us all to be investing a lot of time unpaid. The idea of pushing for paid pitches came up which has always been a subject of discussion within design circles. Strategies were discussed on how to be more selective on which proposals we go for to reduce unpaid work and the strain this adds to schedules. Ideas were shared on how members obtain new business, what has been working well for them and what they have moved away from.
Having more meetings between CoTech to discuss ideas and enhance collaboration was a widely well-supported idea.
The conversation moved on to one of the most pressing issues in the sustainability space: Greenwashing. Many agencies and businesses tout eco-friendly credentials, but not all these claims are genuine. The session delved into how coops can actively combat greenwashing by staying true to their values and ensuring transparency in their sustainability efforts. We also discussed how cooperatives, which by their nature prioritise social good, can serve as examples of authentic sustainable practices in a world where corporate greenwashing is all too common.
Over recent years, sustainability and ethical issues have attracted more attention and awareness in the mainstream media. As a result, agencies that have been working heavily in the private sector with a corporate-heavy but lucrative portfolio, including clients such as Shell, have become more interested in balancing this with more ethically-focused projects. As a result, they will sometimes reduce costs or even do work for free to then try and pick up ethically attractive projects for their portfolio. The fact that members within CoTech have predominantly focused on this space for decades comes with new challenges…
We wrapped up the day with a team photo in The Minories Gardens, capturing the spirit of the event and the collective energy of CoTech. Afterwards, we enjoyed drinks and pizza while mingling in the stunning Minories gardens before heading out to a local bar for the post-event party. The 2024 CoTech gathering was a resounding success, and it reminded all of us why cooperatives are such a vital voice in today’s tech landscape. With renewed enthusiasm within the CoTech group, we’re already excited for the next event.
I’m truly excited about the prospect of seeing familiar faces at the next events and future collaborations.
Having people together in person makes a huge difference too as opposed to online events which I have found myself steering away from in recent years. It was great to hear a really positive energy about people collaborating and planning the next events and CoTech meet-ups.