Innovation Unit for Women
New Unit in Athena RC for the implementation of the objectives of the "Greek Innovation Lab for Women - #GIL4W"
11-02-2022
Today, on the 11th of February 2022, the International Women and Girls in Science Day, we are delighted to announce the opening of the new Unit of the "Athena" Research Center which will serve as the implementor of the objectives and strategies of the "Greek Innovation Lab for Women - #GIL4W".
The # GIL4W (Greek Innovation Lab for Women) is a partnership of 5 Ministries, 15 Agencies, Research Centers, Academic Institutions, Chambers and the Private Sector organizations launched 16th April 2021 by the Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Affairs for Demographic Policy and Family, Maria Syreggela, in order to support and promote the issues of innovation and entrepreneurship of women in Greece.
In close collaboration with the Ministry of Development and Investment and especially the Deputy Minister Mr. Christos Dimas, under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, a distinct Unit is now being created in "Athena" Research Center, which will have as its mission the support and realization of the goals and strategies of the nationwide partnership.
Through a comprehensive Action Plan created by all partners of the #GIL4W partnership, a series of programmes and activities will be implemented that will support women in Greece to join and benefit from the opportunities created by the 4th Industrial Revolution. Among the main actions of the new Unit will be opportunities for funding and business support for the innovative start-ups of women, as well as central initiatives such as the strengthening of STEM in education, or incitement for young girls to choose professions related to new highly specialized fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics or Bio-technology.
The operating model of the new Unit will also be based on best practices from countries with a tradition in women's innovation and entrepreneurship, such as Norway, and to this end international collaborations have already been secured with organizations such as the ECWT- The European Center for Women and Technology as one of the co-founders of the #Gil4W.