WeSTEMEU’s 2nd Study Visit explores practices in Bucharest
The second Study Visit of the WeSTEMEU project took place in Bucharest on the 27th and 28th of February 2024. During the Study Visit, consortium partners, along with stakeholders from various territories, attended the presentation of three case studies:
Case Study 1 – StepFWD Accelerator Program
StepFWD aims to increase the number of diverse startup teams by providing them with guidance on how to grow their business, connecting them with experienced mentors, and helping them become more attractive to investors. Their goal is to promote diversity in the startup ecosystem and make it a reality. During their presentation, they introduced the second edition of the Diversity Report in the Romanian Startup Ecosystem.
Case Study 2 – FILIA Center
The FILIA Center is a feminist organization that amplifies women’s voices through direct community work, advocacy, activism, outreach, research, and analysis. They are building a solidary society where women’s rights and diverse needs are respected, and which offers equal opportunities to all people. During their presentation, they shared the latest achievements regarding updates on the national legislation framework on Gender-Based Violence.
Case Study 3 – AFIST
AFIST, the Association of Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology, is a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting and supporting women in technical fields, which are vital for shaping our present and future society. Their mission revolves around fostering a supportive community where women in technical domains can connect, learn, and thrive, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable society. Through education and inclusivity, they aim to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities, regardless of gender or orientation, to participate in building a more diversified and inclusive workforce and to create technologies that align better with society’s needs for sustainable development.
In the second part of the day, the partners visited the ELI-Extreme Light Infrastructure and the Impact Hub Bucharest, two initiatives to foster research and entrepreneurship among women.
ELI NP stands as the pinnacle of cutting-edge research in the realm of photonuclear physics, marking an unprecedented convergence of high-power lasers and nuclear physics in an interdisciplinary setting. Anchored as the nuclear physics pillar within the Pan-European Distributed Research Infrastructure ELI-Extreme Light Infrastructure, ELI NP represents the largest-ever investment in scientific research within Romania. This groundbreaking facility has been made possible through a collaborative effort between the European Commission and the Romanian Government, channelling Structural Funds via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Spearheaded by the Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), which itself accounts for nearly 10% of Romania’s scientific output, ELI NP epitomizes a pioneering initiative at the forefront of scientific exploration and technological innovation.
The Impact Hub Bucharest is an organization that supports the development of entrepreneurial initiatives with positive impact through a coworking area, growth and incubation programs, conferences and events, and a crowdfunding platform. Impact Hub Bucharest is part of the global Impact Hub network that has over 100 locations on five continents. The CAPSULE project focuses on empowering young women across the EU to become change agents, by unlocking their potential, through a holistic capacity-building program, supporting them to overcome barriers like limiting beliefs and fear of failure.