Author

SK
Snejina Kalendjieva-Velikova
Sofia University St. “Kliment Ohridski”

Snejina Kalendjieva-Velikova holds a Master’s degree in Law and a PhD in Public Administration from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She is a lecturer at the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University, where she teaches courses in administrative law and procedure, judicial governance and administration, records management and access to public information. Her research interests focus mainly on judicial governance and independent institutions.

COOPERATIVES IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58894/EJPP.2026.3.623
cooperatives digital transformation platform cooperatives cooperative principles
June 2026
308

Abstract

The article examines the cooperative model in the context of digital transformation, drawing a clear distinction between the digitalisation of cooperative activities and the emergence of platform cooperatives within the platform economy. It traces the development of cooperative principles and assesses their applicability in the contemporary technological environment. The analysis explores the nature and main types of platform cooperatives, as well as the structural constraints they face. The article questions the assumption that platform cooperatives can function as a universal alternative to platform capitalism and emphasises the importance of the local economic context. In conclusion, it outlines perspectives for the Bulgarian environment, including regulatory preconditions for a more flexible development of cooperative initiatives in the digital era.