On 29 April, the ICA-AP Committee on Cooperative Research hosted the 13^th COOP Colloquium, bringing together over 90 participants from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Themed “Focus on Research Methods: Using Comparative Case Studies in Cooperative Research,” the session provided a dynamic platform to share research insights and advance methodological dialogue in the lead-up to the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

The webinar opened with an engaging icebreaker where participants from diverse countries described cooperatives in their region using one or two words, capturing themes such as resilience, innovation, trust, and inclusion.

Dr. Sidsel Grimstad, Adjunct at Griffith Business School, Australia, presented on “What is a Case Study and Why is It Important to Use Theory in Cooperative Case Studies.” Dr. Grimstad emphasized the importance of grounding case studies in theory to move beyond description toward explanation and learning. She highlighted key elements of robust cooperative case research, including thoughtful case selection, contextual richness, theoretical anchoring, and practical implications. She encouraged Asia-Pacific researchers to integrate theory and adopt transparent methodologies to increase the reach and impact of their work.

Dr. Garry Cronan, Research Affiliate at the University of Sydney, Australia, shared insights from his comparative analysis of the world’s top 300 cooperatives. He noted that these cooperatives, spread across 28 countries, account for approximately 5-6% of global GDP, with a strong presence in agriculture, insurance, banking, and retail. He highlighted how many of these organizations have histories spanning over a century, often shaped by mergers and consolidations. Yet the cooperative movement faces challenges, including demutualization pressures, limited new cooperative formation, and structural constraints on growth, trends that demand careful comparative study.

The discussion session was wide-ranging and rich in which attendees raised questions about managing selection bias and subjectivity in research, integrating software tools for qualitative data analysis, and comparing cooperatives in emerging versus developed economies. One of the participants asked about methodologies for valuing non-financial assets such as experience, knowledge, networks, and reputation when assessing cooperative startups. Another emphasized the need for cooperative frameworks to better support women’s self-help groups, while some others highlighted the importance of embedding cooperative solidarity development strategies. Discussions also touched on restoring public trust in cooperatives and strategies for institutionalizing cooperative identity.

A central takeaway from the session was the call for strengthening regional research capacity. Prof. Akira Kurimoto, former Chair of ICA-AP CCR, while offering closing reflections, underscored the importance of building a network of cooperative researchers in the Asia-Pacific region. He noted that while comparative research offers significant insights, its full potential can only be realized if researchers have access to consistent, reliable, and comparable data. Prof. Kurimoto encouraged ICA-AP to lead efforts in developing a regional cooperative statistics database and stressed the importance of creating more platforms for dialogue, learning, and collaborative research.

Looking ahead, participants were encouraged to prepare for the upcoming 19^th ICA Asia and Pacific Research Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in November 2025.

As the cooperative movement celebrates a milestone year in 2025, the 13th Coop Colloquium reaffirmed that comparative, theory-informed, and collaborative research is essential to understanding and strengthening cooperative ecosystems. The event highlighted that research is not only an academic pursuit but a practical tool for guiding cooperative innovation, resilience, and social impact.

Some of the key takeaways from the 13^th COOP Colloquium are:

• Theory matters – Integrating theoretical frameworks into cooperative case studies strengthens the relevance and impact of research beyond the cooperative sector.
• Comparative insights reveal trends – Analyzing large cooperatives globally helps identify patterns of resilience, innovation, and challenges like demutualization and consolidation.
• Regional data is critical – Asia-Pacific needs consistent and comparable cooperative statistics to enable meaningful cross-country research and analysis.
• Collaboration strengthens research – Establishing a regional network of cooperative researchers will enhance knowledge-sharing and capacity-building across Asia-Pacific.

The next Colloquium will be held in the 3^rd week of  June 2025.