Mobilising hidden resources for economic recovery and innovation
The potential of women as entrepreneurs and business angels
For the first time, Norway, Serbia, Romania, Hungary and Moldova have an opportunity to further build their unique region specific model of women's engagement in economic development through new companies. On 9 November 2020 the WINGATE project held its first online regional Forum. It was the first event of a series of seminars, forums and trainings co-financed by a three-year-grant from the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation. Throughout the WINGATE project Women/Business/Angels Association and its partners will continue to develop this new model of how to grow the number of women in innovation decision making as business angel investors and/or as entrepreneurs. This phenomenon is very much needed in this region with only 30 years history of market economy. The project will strongly engage stakeholders via regional conferences and potential angels through pilot trainings.
The Forum was opened by Trine Skymoen, the Norwegian Ambassador to Hungary. It was followed by a panel of the partners of WINGATE. Women/Business/Angels Association addresses potential angel investors engaging stakeholders from Hungary and from the CEE region, the Serbian Venture Network targets innovative start-ups from Serbia, the National Association of Entrepreneurs covers female-led small enterprises from Romania and Moldova, while Kvinner i Business engages entrepreneur women in Norway in the coordination of SKC-Consulting from Hungary.
At the end of the Forum, Taira-Julia Lammi, CEO of ABB Hungary Kft. and Advisory Board member of Women/Business/Angels summarised the Forum’s key takeaway. „Innovation is at the heart of today’s global economy. Non-profits need to work on innovation capacity building across the borders mobilising hidden resources for economic recovery and innovation. I am happy that WINGATE, and especially Women/Business/Angels I am involved in, received this long-term grant” - said Ms Lammi. “This partnership will get this region’s innovation capacity and economic growth far if the partners will find strong stakeholders and invested entrepreneurs to work with regional support,” said Aleksandar Bijelic, the MD of the Serbian Venture Network.
Check out and share #CEEforInnovationHub, #CoCreatingTheEconomicFuture, #WBAngelsCEEClub, #Wingate. Need more information? Please write to womenbusinessangels@gmail.com or for interview call +36 30 251 4417
The WINGATE project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.