Green Tech / Boosting female entrepreneurship across Europe

Background

The level of female entrepreneurship across Europe remains low despite increasing focus, effort, and a positive trend in equality between women and men in society. Only one-third of those involved in entrepreneurship in Europe are women. Only 36% of Romanian entrepreneurs, 21% of Norwegian entrepreneurs and 26% of Icelandic entrepreneurs are women.

Why does the gender disparity in entrepreneurship remain? Can it be attributed to factors such as access to finance, limited access to networks, role models, and mentors, cultural and societal norms, education and skills level, or is this changing in line with the radical changes in technological development?

Amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for change: the green technology. This shift towards sustainability is not just about combating climate change but also about driving innovation, creating jobs, and bolstering economic resilience. Women entrepreneurs are pivotal in this transition, offering diverse perspectives and leadership that can lead to more inclusive and effective solutions.

The Women in Green Tech Summit seeks to address both the challenges and opportunities. The summit aims to showcase successful projects, foster partnerships and promote cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange. In doing so, it not only advances gender equality, create a network and accelerates progress towards a sustainable future where women contribute.

The event will:

• Outline the state of play and the challenges across Europe – from the East to the South and in the North
• Showcase success stories on financial support to female entrepreneurship across Europe
• Get inspired by successes of female founders in green tech from Romania and other countries
• Engage in discussion on the way forward for female entrepreneurship in Europe
• Give input to the support for female entrepreneurship from the EEA and Norway Grants and other funds for innovation
• Create a community, widen the knowledge-exchange and strengthen cooperation across Europe

Participants:

The event will gather up to 100 participants from Romania and the region of Central, Southern and Northern Europe. It will bring together female entrepreneurs, policy-drivers, decision-makers and financial experts with insights on how to boost entrepreneurship in the EU and across more than 10 countries in Europe.

Preliminary Agenda:

09:30 – 10:00 Welcome coffee

10:00 – 11:00 Plenary

Moderator: Ana-Maria Axenia and Rannveig S. Gimse, Innovation Norway

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome from the moderation

10:10 – 10:20 Welcome from the Norwegian Ambassador

10:20 – 10:30 Welcome from Innovation Norway

10:30 – 10:40 State of play in Europe (Women Tech EU)

10:40 – 10:50 State of play in Norway

10:50 – 11:05 State of play in Romania, Hildegard Brandl, Vice-President of CONAF National Confederation for Female Entrepreneurship, Director of the architectural studio UNITH2B Architects, Entrepreneur and Member of the Coalition for the Development of Romania

11:05 – 11:15 Wrap up by the moderators

11:15 – 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:45 Panel 1 - EEA and Norway Grants support female entrepreneurs around Europe

Moderator: Magnar Ødelien, Director of the EEA and Norway Grants, Innovation Norway

11:20 – 11:30 Intro to the EEA and Norway Grants and its aim to boost female entrepreneurship in the upcoming financial period

11:30 – 11:40 Iceland and Women in Energy

11:40 – 11:50 Poland and the Open Call for Female Entrepreneurs

11:50 – 12:00 Greece and Gender Equality in Business

12:00 – 12:10 Portugal and the Gender Equality Programme

12:10 – 12:20 Latvia (TBD)

12:20 – 12:45 Q&A discussion

12:45 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 14.20 WINGATE, a project and a community that increased competitiveness of female entrepreneurs in cooperation between Hungary, Moldova, Norway, Serbia and Romania.

14:20 – 15:10 Succes stories from women in green tech

Startups and female entrepreneurs funded through the EEA and Norway Grants to innovation (TBA)

Moderator: Mihai Stefanescu, Innovation Norway

15:10 – 15:25 Break

15:25 – 16:30 Final reflections and the way forward for female entrepreneurship

Potential Speakers: Experts in entrepreneurship, green technologies and gender equality in the tech industry.

Speakers from Romania, Bulgaria, Iceland, Norway and the EU (TBA) and discussions in the room.

Moderator: Rannveig S. Gimse, Innovation Norway

16:30 – 17:30 Networking