On Monday, May 25, 13:00-14:30, was held 4th Femina Local Stakeholder. Present at the meeting were representatives from Athens University for Economics and Business( AUEB), Region of Sterea Ellada, Nestor Consultant, Business Support Center of the Region of Sterea Ellada, Federation of Industries of Sterea Ellada, Support Structure for Social Inclusion, “ Gefyra” of the Region of Sterea Ellada, Center for Regional and Local Innovation.
Virtual Stakeholder meeting
In the virtual stakeholder meeting, the importance of the Local stakeholder meetings and the cooperation between Athens University for Economics and Business, local stakeholders, and the Region of Sterea Ellada in the implementation and progress of the FEMINA project.
The project team from the Region of Central Greece presented the current status of the project, the main activities that are underway in the current period, the main conclusions from the 4th Virtual Convention of European partners, as well as the action plans they are developing in their area to enhance women's entrepreneurship, women's access to high-tech media employment and gender integration in innovation.
Action Plan Development
The presentation closed with the briefing of the Local Network of Interesting Parties on the next steps of the project concerning the Action Plan developed by PSTE. This was a result of the combination of interregional exchange within the Project and local discussion at the regional level with its representatives, which had a particular emphasis on action planning.
Current situation in the region
The team from the Athens University of Economics and Business presented the current situation in the Region, regarding the lag in indicators for entrepreneurship and innovation, the lack of capital liquidity, as well as the lack of incentives for the participation of highly specialized workers in the Regional SME. In addition, two actions planned by PSTE in the Dream Action Plan was presented:
- Provision of support and know-how to potential female entrepreneurs in high tech sectors in the Region of Sterea Ellada: This Action aims to provide know-how and access to information for women that are interested in starting a company in the high tech sector, through the organization of relevant training seminars. The training seminars will provide prospective female entrepreneurs with valuable tools for setting up a company in high-tech sectors, including the development of a business plan. The seminars will be organized in cooperation with the Regional Centre for Business Support, universities, and the Empowa Good Practice.
- Provision of targeted financial motives supporting female start-up entrepreneurship in high-tech sectors: This Action aims to strengthen female start-up companies/entrepreneurs by providing them with targeted financial incentives. These incentives refer (but are not limited) to subsidy of the cost of developing an initial Business Plan and supporting the initial business steps either by subsidizing the initial operating (start-up) costs or by subsidizing the integration of the new business into collectively organized structures (business incubator type).
Started activities
The representatives of the local bodies, specifically of KYE, stated that information and training activities on entrepreneurship have already started in primary school students. The representative of the Regional Center for Research and Innovation of the Central Greece Region informed that they are planning educational activities related to strengthening the incentives for the development of women's entrepreneurship at the University of Sterea Ellada. In closing, all participants agreed that an additional tool for financing the Actions should be found, which would be leveraged by the private sector and would not come exclusively from national or European resources.
The next step was agreed to be the communication of the participants for additional proposals of actions and ideas for the improvement of the Dream Action Plan that the Region of Sterea Ellada is planning.
