Women represent only a third of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates in Europe, while only 15.5% of start-ups have been founded by women active in the start-up scene. However, there are many positive trends to be celebrated on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11. A key metric shows that startups founded by women outperform their male counterparts. In this context, EIT Health has accelerated the rise of many women entrepreneurs from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe in the health and biotechnology sectors.

In 2015, the United Nations designated February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to enhance women's participation:

• in science
• in technology
• in engineering
• mathematics (STEM)

In Europe, women represent only about a third of graduates in STEM disciplines, according to the European Commission's Women in Digital Scoreboard 2021. The gender gap also affects entrepreneurship. Women make up only 15.5% of start-up founders in the European Union.

In addition to the fact that fewer women are graduates in STEM fields, they also face obstacles to obtaining funding. In Central and Eastern Europe, a recent survey shows that only 1% of the available capital goes in start-ups led by women and an additional 5% in groups where both sexes are represented. However, the evidence also shows that women as founders of businesses in Central and Eastern Europe make more use of the money they receive, surpassing men in capital productivity and generating 96% more revenue per 1 euro of funding compared to start-ups founded by men.

Healthcare: a promising area for women professionals

Women make up the vast majority of health workers in Europe (70-80%). And in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. The proportion of female doctors is the highest among developed countries. In the Baltic countries, the Visegrad countries, Slovenia and Portugal, The majority of doctors are women. In fact, they exceed the OECD average of 49%. The professional experience of women doctors may predeter them to spearhead innovative changes in the healthcare industry. However, their business potential has been less explored than that of their male colleagues. Although this has been the case historically, there has been a relatively recent trend towards an increase in the number of women entrepreneurs in the health sector.

"We are seeing three strong trends now. First, women innovators in healthcare come from different industries. Of course, science and technology dominate, and many women come directly from the labs. But there are also graduates of social sciences. There are many different roles in healthcare innovation. Women can join quickly. Second, we see that more start-ups are co-founded and/or run by women. And third, there is a wave of discussions about creating equal opportunities for women-led start-ups. We're seeing a trend in the startup ecosystem. VC funds to be more open to investing in women-led start-ups," says Monika Toth, Director of the Regional Innovation Scheme at EIT Health InnoStars, the leading organisation supporting EIT Health in the health sector.

EIT Health

EIT Health has many programmes designed to empower women entrepreneurs. One such programme is the Women's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp , a five-week program that connects early-stage healthcare startups, led by women or both genders, with a network of mentors to nurture and support their rapid growth. The initiative, supported by IESE Business School, Pedro Nunes Institute and NUI Galway, provides intensive training, network access and guidance. EIT Health is accepting applications for the programme until 14 March.

You have to see it to become

"Showcasing innovative women is not only great for their own start-ups, but it also helps create a wider social impact to attract more women to STEM and innovation," says Monika Toth. EIT Health's portfolio includes several women leaders in healthcare innovation.

EIT Health InnoStars

Joana Melo, a young female entrepreneur from Portugal, has participated in several EIT Health InnoStars accelerator projects. Her company, NU-RISE , helps doctors provide safer and more accurate radiation treatment. They ensure the right radiation doses in the right place. Compatriot Joana Paiva is a CTO and co-founder of iLof. Leveraging biophotonics and artificial intelligence, the Porto-based company is developing a non-invasive solution for screening Alzheimer's patients for clinical trials. In 2020, Joana was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the Science & Healthcare category. She was also nominated for the EIT Woman Award.

EIT Health Catapult

In Poland, Forbes magazine's list of the 100 most influential women includes Magdalena Jander, PhD, CEO and co-founder of UVera, winner of the awards EIT Health Catapult and InnoStars. Develops the next generation of healthy and ecologically friendly protective substancesn against the entire spectrum of UV solar radiation. Together with her team, she aims at sustainable production, while contributing to the circular economy.

"We aim to produce an extremely powerful substance that is 100% environmentally friendly. Not only will it not affect coral reefs or marine life, but the production process is sustainable. Consumes tons of _CO2 and releases tons O₂ and fertile biomass as by-products," explains Magdalena Jander, adding that if we want to see more girls in STEM classes, the education system needs to be changed from a very early stage and yes develop critical thinking skills that may attract the attention of girls from Elementary School and High School. "It's often about dealing with science at the right time," he says.

According to a survey conducted by Microsoft of 11,500 young women in 12 European countries, girls aged 11-12 are just as interested in STEM subjects as boys. However, once they become 15-16 Their interest plummets. At this age, according to OECD , only 5% of girls say they expect to pursue a career in IT or engineering. The figure for boys is 18%. Microsoft's research also reveals that the existence of female role models sparks girls' interest in STEM careers. Along with practical experience and practical exercises inside or outside the classroom.

Sustainability also comes into focus for women founders

UVera is not the only company for which sustainability is a priority. Lithuanian start-up CasZyme, which was founded by women, develops tools that strengthen the implementation of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) in the research and development of gene editing. The tool is already successful in healthcare, in the fight against genetic diseases and various forms of cancer, as well as in the acceleration of testing for COVID-19. However, CRISPR – the so-called 'genetic scissors' technology – can also play an important role in the fight against climate change. It can allow local communities to grow enough food in each climate. This will reduce the environmental costs of transport.

Dr Monika Paule, a PhD holder in social sciences and with experience in high-tech business development and technology transfer in the biotech industry, is clear. "We need to reshape the biotech industry to be pro-gender."

Women in the biotechnology industry may be more sensitive to the environmental uses of the latest developments in the sector. According to OECD research, women worldwide tend to:

• be more sensitive to ecological issues
• are more likely to recycle, buy organic food and eco-labelled products
• deal with water and energy saving
• use energy-efficient forms of transport

This can also translate into sustainable ideas that start with women.