The alliance of 450 Universities of Applied Sciences champions young female entrepreneurs to help Europe achieve the twin green and digital transitions.
On Monday, 30 May 2022, UAS4EUROPE hosted its first post-pandemic physical Croissant Event at the Mission of Switzerland to the EU in Brussels. Together with 50 participants from the research and innovation sector within and beyond Brussels, this edition of the Croissant Event presented the opportunity to link to the EU Knowledge Valorisation Week (29 March 2022 – 1 April 2022) on the role of applied sciences in fostering entrepreneurship and European innovation leadership. The event was also the occasion to celebrate the success of the 12 month swissuniversities presidency, represented by Luciana Vaccaro, Rector of HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland), and chairwoman of the UAS chamber of swissuniversities.
H.E. Ambassador Rita Adam, head of the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, officially opened the Event by stressing the need for cooperation among like-minded countries. This is especially true in the context of research and its role in addressing global challenges, such as supply chain disruptions and climate change. She underlined the willingness of Switzerland to achieve the status of an associated country to Horizon Europe, In this context, UAS4EUROPE serves as an example of how our societies can be stronger together through connecting the strengths of our universities of applied sciences. Also in Switzerland, strong UAS act as the cornerstone of Swiss innovation leadership in Europe.
The scene-setting by the Ambassador was followed by a panel of young entrepreneurs. With Kaisa Koskinen from Naturested and two co-founders of CAPSULE App, Nadia Wabra and Nanna Hejndorf, UAS4EUROPE welcomed three female leaders and alumni from Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland and Denmark. They outlined the stories of their companies and the challenges they faced in starting their own business. While Ms. Koskinen always wanted to become an entrepreneur and founded her company, which offers educational services to nature as a starting point of sustainability, on this objective, Nadia and Nanna (together with their all-female team) had a precise idea, which pulled them into the start-up scene. Today, CAPSULE App, which will be launched in summer 2022, aims to help everyone in creating their digital wardrobe with the goal to consume clothes in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Despite their different backgrounds, all three entrepreneurs needed to tackle similar obstacles. Throughout their journey of building their own companies, it was hard to convince oneself and others of the need to take risks. Furthermore, information on available mentoring programmes and funding sources was and still is hard to find.
The presentation of these entrepreneurship examples was followed by a panel discussion focused on policy. The objective of the panel discussion was to reflect with the panellists on how higher education institutions and other research actors can better foster and promote the broad entrepreneurial skillset that Europe requires to remain resilient and prosperous innovation leader. In light of the fact that 85% of founding teams are male, special focus has been laid on the topic of female entrepreneurship. For this discussion, UAS representatives exchanged with Prof. Dr. Lina Gálvez Muñoz, MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Ingrid Rigler, Deputy Head of Unit “Innovation and EIT” at DG EAC of the European Commission.
Prof. Dr. Lina Gálvez, along with the panel, shared the assessment that gender biases need to be addressed from childhood stage on in order to allow for a reinvention of the entrepreneurial image. Ms. Rigler outlined the various supportive measures within the EU programmes that support entrepreneurship, such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, its HEI Initiative helping higher education institutions to build the capacity for entrepreneurial education, and the elements of the European Skills Agenda.
Dr. Vaccaro summed up the panel discussion and articulated the successes of UAS4EUROPE’s efforts to highlight the UAS model as an important contributor to European innovation capacity and entrepreneurship. In particular the UAS4EUROPE innovation action plan for Europe, published in October 2021 as a contribution to Commissioner Gabriel’s initiative for a new European Innovation Area, led to invitations to participate in consultations on European policy relevant to innovation. UAS4EUROPE participated in Council presidency events under the Slovenian and French presidency regarding the renewed European Research Area and regarding the European Strategy for Universities, supporting the important role of knowledge transfer and applied research in these efforts. The alliance remains committed to helping Europe achieve the policy aims within these initiatives.
Additionally, UAS4EUROPE’s Governing Board the same day ratified statutes to be submitted to the Belgian authorities as a basis for being granted status as an international association under Belgian law. At the end of the day, the swissuniversities presidency handed over the reigns of a growing and vibrant alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences to Vereniging Hogescholen of the Netherlands, represented by Professor Marjolijn Brussaard of ArtEZ University of the Arts, who will lead the organisation over the next two years.