{"id":6947,"date":"2022-11-04T09:49:07","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T09:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-espa.summerize.io\/eit-health-innovation-in-the-health-sector-needs-women-entrepreneurs\/"},"modified":"2023-08-03T09:05:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T09:05:58","slug":"eit-health-innovation-in-the-health-sector-needs-women-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espa.io\/en\/eit-health-innovation-in-the-health-sector-needs-women-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"EIT Health: Innovation in the health sector needs women entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/espa.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/eit-health-i-kainotomia-ston-klado-tis-ygeias-xreiazetai-gynaikes-epixeirimaties-1024x534.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>Women represent only a third of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates in Europe, while only 15.5% of start-ups have been <strong>founded by women active in the start-up scene.<\/strong> However, there are <strong>many positive trends<\/strong> to be celebrated on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11. A key metric shows that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/espa.io\/en\/business_type\/new-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">startups<\/a><\/strong> founded by <strong>women<\/strong> <strong>outperform their male counterparts<\/strong>. In this context, <strong>EIT Health<\/strong> has accelerated the <strong>rise of many women entrepreneurs<\/strong> from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe in the health and biotechnology sectors.<\/p>\n\n<p>In 2015, the United Nations designated February 11 as the <strong>International Day of Women and Girls in Science<\/strong> to enhance women&#8217;s participation:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>in science<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>in technology<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>in engineering<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>mathematics (STEM)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>In Europe, women <strong>represent only about a third<\/strong> of graduates in STEM disciplines, according to the European Commission&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/news\/women-digital-scoreboard-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Women in Digital Scoreboard 2021.<\/strong><\/a> The <strong>gender gap<\/strong> also affects <strong>entrepreneurship<\/strong>. Women <strong>make up only<\/strong> 15.5% of <strong>start-up founders<\/strong> in the European Union.<\/p>\n\n<p>In addition to the fact that <strong>fewer women are graduates in STEM<\/strong> fields, they also face <strong>obstacles to obtaining funding.<\/strong>  In Central and Eastern Europe, a recent survey shows that  <strong>only 1% of the available capital<\/strong> goes <strong>in start-ups led by women<\/strong> and an additional <strong>5% in groups where both sexes are represented<\/strong>. However, the evidence also shows that <strong>women as founders of businesses<\/strong> in Central and Eastern Europe <strong>make more use of the money they receive<\/strong>, surpassing men <strong>in capital productivity and generating 96% more revenue<\/strong> per 1 euro of funding compared to start-ups founded by men.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-&#x3C5;&#x3B3;&#x3B5;&#x3B9;&#x3BF;&#x3BD;&#x3BF;&#x3BC;&#x3B9;&#x3BA;&#x3AE;-&#x3C0;&#x3B5;&#x3C1;&#x3AF;&#x3B8;&#x3B1;&#x3BB;&#x3C8;&#x3B7;-&#x3AD;&#x3BD;&#x3B1;&#x3C2;-&#x3C0;&#x3BF;&#x3BB;&#x3BB;&#x3AC;-&#x3C5;&#x3C0;&#x3BF;&#x3C3;&#x3C7;&#x3CC;&#x3BC;&#x3B5;&#x3BD;&#x3BF;&#x3C2;-&#x3C4;&#x3BF;&#x3BC;&#x3AD;&#x3B1;&#x3C2;-&#x3B3;&#x3B9;&#x3B1;-&#x3C4;&#x3B9;&#x3C2;-&#x3B3;&#x3C5;&#x3BD;&#x3B1;&#x3AF;&#x3BA;&#x3B5;&#x3C2;-&#x3B5;&#x3C0;&#x3B1;&#x3B3;&#x3B3;&#x3B5;&#x3BB;&#x3BC;&#x3B1;&#x3C4;&#x3AF;&#x3B5;&#x3C2;\"><strong>Healthcare: a promising area for women professionals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Women <strong>make up the vast majority<\/strong> <strong>of health workers<\/strong> 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,  <strong>The majority of doctors are women<\/strong>. In fact, they <strong>exceed the OECD average of 49%<\/strong>. The professional experience of women doctors may predeter them to <strong>spearhead innovative changes in the healthcare industry<\/strong>. However, their <strong>business potential<\/strong> has been <strong>less explored<\/strong> than that of their male colleagues. Although this has been the case historically, there has been a <strong>relatively recent trend towards an increase in the number of women entrepreneurs in the health sector.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>&#8220;We are seeing <strong>three strong trends<\/strong> now. <strong>First,<\/strong> women innovators in healthcare come from different industries. Of course, science and technology dominate, and <strong>many women come directly from the labs<\/strong>. But there are also <strong>graduates of social sciences<\/strong>. There are <strong>many different roles<\/strong> in healthcare innovation. <strong>Women can join quickly<\/strong>. <strong>Second,<\/strong> we see that <strong>more start-ups<\/strong> are co-founded and\/or run by women. And <strong>third<\/strong>, there is a wave of discussions about <strong>creating equal opportunities for women-led start-ups.<\/strong> We&#8217;re seeing <strong>a trend<\/strong> in the startup ecosystem. VC funds to be <strong>more open to investing in women-led start-ups,&#8221;<\/strong> says Monika Toth, Director of the Regional Innovation Scheme at EIT Health InnoStars, the leading organisation supporting EIT Health in the health sector.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-&#x3C4;&#x3BF;-eit-health\"><strong>EIT Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>EIT Health has <strong>many programmes<\/strong> designed to empower women entrepreneurs. One such programme is the <a href=\"https:\/\/eithealth.eu\/women-entrepreneurship-bootcamp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\n  <strong>Women&#8217;s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp<\/strong>\n<\/a>, a five-week program that <strong>connects<\/strong> <strong>early-stage<\/strong> healthcare <strong>startups<\/strong>, <strong>led by women or both genders<\/strong>, with a <strong>network of mentors<\/strong> to nurture and support their rapid growth. The initiative, <strong>supported<\/strong> by IESE Business School, Pedro Nunes Institute and NUI Galway, provides <strong>intensive training, network access and guidance.<\/strong> EIT Health is accepting <strong>applications for the programme until 14 March.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-&#x3C0;&#x3C1;&#x3AD;&#x3C0;&#x3B5;&#x3B9;-&#x3BD;&#x3B1;-&#x3C4;&#x3BF;-&#x3B4;&#x3B5;&#x3B9;&#x3C2;-&#x3B3;&#x3B9;&#x3B1;-&#x3BD;&#x3B1;-&#x3B3;&#x3AF;&#x3BD;&#x3B5;&#x3B9;\"><strong>You have to see it to become<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;Showcasing innovative women is not only great for their own start-ups,<\/strong> but it also helps <strong>create a wider social impact<\/strong> to attract <strong>more women to STEM and innovation,<\/strong>&#8221; says Monika Toth. EIT Health&#8217;s portfolio includes <strong>several women leaders<\/strong> in healthcare innovation.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eit-health-innostars\"><strong>EIT Health InnoStars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Joana Melo, a young female entrepreneur from Portugal, has participated in several <strong>EIT Health InnoStars<\/strong> accelerator projects. Her company, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nu-rise.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">\n  <strong>NU-RISE<\/strong>\n<\/a>, helps doctors provide <strong>safer and more accurate radiation treatment<\/strong>. They ensure the right radiation doses in the right place. Compatriot Joana Paiva is a CTO and co-founder of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ilof.tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">iLof<\/a><\/strong>. Leveraging biophotonics and artificial intelligence, the Porto-based company is <strong>developing a non-invasive solution for screening Alzheimer&#8217;s patients<\/strong> for clinical trials. In 2020, Joana was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the Science &amp; Healthcare category. She was also nominated for the EIT Woman Award.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eit-health-catapult\"><strong>EIT Health Catapult<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>In Poland, Forbes magazine&#8217;s list of the 100 most influential women includes Magdalena Jander, PhD, CEO and co-founder of  <a href=\"https:\/\/uvera.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>UVera<\/strong><\/a>, winner of the awards<strong>  EIT Health Catapult and InnoStars<\/strong>. Develops the  <strong>next generation of healthy and ecologically friendly protective substances<\/strong>n against the entire spectrum of UV solar radiation. Together with her team, she aims at sustainable production, <strong>while contributing to the circular economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>&#8220;We aim to produce an e<strong>xtremely powerful substance that is 100% environmentally friendly<\/strong>. <strong>Not only will it not affect coral reefs or marine life, but the production process is sustainable.<\/strong> <strong>Consumes tons of <sub>CO2<\/sub> and releases tons O<\/strong><sub>2<\/sub> and fertile biomass as by-products,&#8221; explains Magdalena Jander, adding that if we want to see more girls in STEM classes, <strong>the education system needs to be changed from a very early stage<\/strong> and yes <strong>develop critical thinking skills<\/strong> that may attract the attention of girls from Elementary School and High School. &#8220;It&#8217;s often about dealing with science at the right time,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n<p>According to a survey conducted by Microsoft of 11,500 young women in 12 European countries, <strong>girls aged 11-12 are just as interested in STEM subjects as boys.<\/strong> However, once they become 15-16 <strong>Their interest plummets.<\/strong> At this age, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/gender\/data\/wherearetomorrowsfemalescientists.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">\n  <strong>OECD<\/strong>\n<\/a>, <strong>only 5%<\/strong> of girls say they expect to pursue <strong>a career in IT or engineering<\/strong>. The figure for boys <strong>is 18%<\/strong>. Microsoft&#8217;s research also reveals that <strong>the existence of female role models<\/strong> sparks girls&#8217; interest in STEM careers.  <strong>Along with practical experience and practical exercises inside or outside the classroom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-&#x3B7;-&#x3B2;&#x3B9;&#x3C9;&#x3C3;&#x3B9;&#x3BC;&#x3CC;&#x3C4;&#x3B7;&#x3C4;&#x3B1;-&#x3AD;&#x3C1;&#x3C7;&#x3B5;&#x3C4;&#x3B1;&#x3B9;-&#x3B5;&#x3C0;&#x3AF;&#x3C3;&#x3B7;&#x3C2;-&#x3C3;&#x3C4;&#x3BF;-&#x3B5;&#x3C0;&#x3AF;&#x3BA;&#x3B5;&#x3BD;&#x3C4;&#x3C1;&#x3BF;-&#x3C4;&#x3C9;&#x3BD;-&#x3B3;&#x3C5;&#x3BD;&#x3B1;&#x3B9;&#x3BA;&#x3CE;&#x3BD;-&#x3B9;&#x3B4;&#x3C1;&#x3C5;&#x3C4;&#x3C1;&#x3B9;&#x3CE;&#x3BD;\"><strong>Sustainability also comes into focus for women founders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>UVera is not the only company for which sustainability is a priority. Lithuanian start-up CasZyme, which <strong>was founded by women<\/strong>, develops tools that <strong>strengthen the implementation of CRISPR<\/strong> (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) <strong>in the research and development of gene editing.<\/strong> The tool is <strong>already successful<\/strong> 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, <strong>CRISPR<\/strong> \u2013 the so-called &#8216;genetic scissors&#8217; technology \u2013 can also <strong>play an important role<\/strong> in the <strong>fight against climate change.<\/strong> It can allow local communities to <strong>grow enough food in each climate.<\/strong> This will reduce the <strong>environmental costs<\/strong> of transport.<\/p>\n\n<p>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. <strong>&#8220;We need to reshape the biotech industry to be pro-gender.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Women<\/strong> in the biotechnology industry <strong>may be more sensitive<\/strong> to the <strong>environmental uses<\/strong> of the latest developments in the sector. According to OECD research, women worldwide tend to:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>be more sensitive to ecological issues<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>are more likely to recycle, buy organic food and eco-labelled products<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>deal with water and energy saving<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>use energy-efficient forms of transport<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This can also translate into <strong>sustainable ideas that start with women.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 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