13 August 2018 | Münster
The last 27th of June, the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre (S2BMRC), as a part of the international consortium of the Women Entrepreneurship in STEM (WISE) project from the European Commission, hosted the first meeting with regional stakeholders interested in the topic of Women Entrepreneurship in STEM. Participants included representatives of external organisations such as universities, corporations, regional development agency, supporting organisations, and women entrepreneurs. The meeting presented the overall project objectives and current results, which opened up a constructive discussion on challenges and opportunities of Women Entrepreneurs in STEM, especially in the context of Germany. We encountered a very positive response both in terms of the number and variety of participants and the experiences and expectations shared.
"Women Entrepreneurs in STEM" is a hot topic and there is a lot of demand on future and sustainable developments in our region. The first interactive discussion, followed the "World Café" method, on the core insights generated during the ScanCard analysis. Topics included inspiration, thought process, confidence for decision making, attitude towards STEM abilities, entrepreneurial traits, and career path.
As a results of the discussions, we were able to draw conclusion and inputs for curricula design (learning need identification), which will be included in the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Some of the learning needs include: Communication and storytelling for role models, Image management, Power relations, and Managing partner and family balance, among others.
The meeting concluded with a strong commitment of all participants to keep the discussion open and participate in subsequent meetings to develop the topic in Münster. The next meeting will be held on November 2018.
