본 연구는 4차 산업혁명 시대를 맞이하여 이종(異種) 협동조합 간의 협업을 통해 협동조합 간의 시너지 효과를 창출하는 것이 주된 연구목적이다. 특히, 중소기업협동조합과 생활협동조합 간의 실행가능한 협업모델을 연구해 보고자 하였다. 해외사례 비교연구 결과, (A)공동제품개발(공동기술개발, 공동상표 등), (B)공동판매(중소기업협동조합 제품을 생협에 공급), (C)공동구매(생협 제품을 중소기업협동조합에 공급), (D)공동매장(지역특화 공동매장 설치 및 운영)의 4가지 방식의 협업방식을 제안한다. 첫째, 중소기업협동조합과 생협은 공동기술개발, 공동상표 등 공동제품개발에 있어 협업이 가능할 것으로 판단되며, 생협은 유기농·친환경 농산품의 판매가 주력이기 때문에 김치, 김, 구룡포과메기, 강경젓갈 등 지역특화 식품류를 생산하는 중소기업협동조합의 협업참여를 제안한다. 둘째, 중소기업협동조합의 공산품을 생협에 공급하는 것을 검토할 필요가 있으며, 생협의 기존 공급처와 중복되지 않는 품목인 식기, 문구, 완구, 조명 등의 제품을 생산하는 중소기업협동조합의 협업참여를 제안한다. 셋째, 생협은 유기농·친환경 농산물의 판매 비중이 높기 때문에 중소기업협동조합이 생협의 농산물을 공동구매하는 것을 검토할 필요가 있으며, 생협의 유기농·친환경 농산물을 구입하여 학교, 병원, 호텔, 유치원 등에 공급하는 식자재 협동조합의 협업참여를 제안한다. 넷째, 중소기업협동조합과 생협이 협업을 통해 지역사회와 연계된 공동매장을 설치하는 것을 검토할 필요가 있으며, 지역사회의 특수성을 살릴 수 있는 공예, 도자기, 목기 등의 제품을 생산하는 중소기업협동조합의 협업참여를 제안한다. 마지막으로, 중소기업협동조합과 생협 간의 협업추진은 이종 협동조합 간의 협업문화 확산과 정부·지자체 지원사업 확대에도 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있을 것으로 기대한다. 정부·지자체에서도 협업 활성화가 경제 활성화 및 고용 창출로 이어될 수 있도록 많은 관심과 지원이 필요할 것이다.
The goal of this research is to propose the collaboration model between SME cooperatives and consumers’ cooperatives. The SME cooperatives are made up of SMEs for the joint business, and the consumers’ cooperatives are made up of consumers. In detail, the SME cooperatives have some problems. For example, the SME cooperatives don’t have the organization in collaboration with different cooperatives. The SME cooperatives focus on collaboration only with similar cooperatives. The lack of the fund for collaboration is also one of the problems. In addition, the consumers’ cooperatives have some problems too. For example, the growing trend and profitability is more and more decrease. The competition with different consumers’ cooperatives is more and more increase The consumers’ cooperatives suffer from the buying for high quality daily necessities because the consumers’ cooperatives specializes on the organic food. So I focus on the convergence of secondary industry and tertiary industry, and the maximization of the effect of scope. I would like to find best practice collaboration model between SME cooperatives and consumers’ cooperatives. For the purpose, the comparative study of foreign cases such as Japan and Italy was done. Through the comparative study, I can propose four types of collaboration model such as joint R&D, joint sale, joint buying, joint store in the end. First, the joint R&D means that the SME cooperatives and consumers’ cooperatives work together for technical development or branding. For example, SME cooperatives related to the kimchi, laver, gwamegi, salted seafood can be participated in this collaboration. Second, The joint sale means that the products of the SME cooperatives are supplied to the consumers’ cooperatives. For example, SME cooperatives related to the tableware, stationery, toy, lighting can be participated in this collaboration. Third, The joint buying means that the products of the consumers’ cooperatives are supplied to the SME cooperatives. For example, SME cooperatives related to the supply food can be participated in this collaboration. Fourth, The joint store means that the SME cooperatives and consumers’ cooperatives open and manage the store together based on the regional specialization. For example, SME cooperatives related to the craft, pottery, wooden tableware can be participated in this collaboration. In conclusion, this research can contribute to both theories and practices in the collaboration model between SME cooperatives and consumers’ cooperatives. In theories, this results can contribute to the cooperative theories. In practice, this results can contribute to the regional economy, regional jobs, and cooperative performance. But this research has also limitations of resource and time, so this limitation should be improved by the future study. For example, I propose the collaboration studies between SME cooperatives and other cooperatives, or the empirical studies in the future.