Successful Conference „Women entrepreneurs of the Danube Region“

The conference on 5 Nov. 2024 brought together 80 participants from the business and political sectors from the Danube Region in Zagreb and online.

Organized by Priority Area 8 âCompetitiveness of Enterprises” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (Croatian Ministry of Economy and Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism), the event was held in collaboration with the Technology Park Varaždin (Croatia), the International Business Women’s Network (Croatia), and the Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna (RAPIV) (Bulgaria), who coordinates PA 8 working group on âFemale Entrepreneurship”.

The conference commenced with opening remarks by Robert Blažinović, Head of the Directorate for Entrepreneurship and Crafts at the Croatian Ministry of Economy. Helia Kovačević Grčić and Carmen Hawkins, Coordinators of EUSDR Priority Area 8 from Croatia and Baden-Württemberg respectively, welcomed the attendees.

Participants were presented with insights into the Croatian and EU perspectives on entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on female entrepreneurship. Discussions explored new opportunities for women in business within the Danube Region.

At the European level, there are already numerous efforts and initiatives aimed at specifically supporting women in entrepreneurship. These initiatives are designed to overcome existing barriers and improve opportunities for women in the business world. During the conference, it became clear that the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in the Danube Region often share similar structures and causes. At the same time, a wide variety of approaches and innovative initiatives were presented to address these challenges. Notably, many of these initiatives focus on overcoming obstacles related to financing, training, and networking opportunities for women in business.

 An example of such an initiative is Start-Up BW Women from Baden-Württemberg. As part of the larger Start-Up Baden-Württemberg campaign, Start-Up BW Women focuses specifically on female founders, female start-ups and women entrepreneurs. A key component of this initiative is the Start-Up BW Female Accelerator, which acts as a central hub to coordinate and consolidate existing support programs for women entrepreneurs in Baden-Württemberg. The accelerator promotes the exchange of best practices, creates synergies, and works to structurally improve the entrepreneurial environment for women. The aim of this initiative is to strengthen long-term support for female founders and make a lasting impact on the landscape of female start-ups in the region.

Ralitza Zhekova, Coordinator of the PA 8 Working Group Female Entrepreneurship, Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations - Varna (RAPIV), Bulgaria, gave an overview of the perspective of female entrepreneurship in the Danube Region.

From panel discussions on digitalization and the circular economy to exploring funding opportunities, the conference fostered meaningful dialogue on overcoming barriers and building resilient networks. Such initiatives are vital for boosting the digital and business skills needed for Industry 4.0 and enhancing female-led ventures throughout the Danube Region.

Mariya Zlateva, WE.Circular Project Coordinator, RAPIV shared with the audience the main identified barriers and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the Danube Region and presented under the Transnational Skills Needs and Gaps Analysis:

"We noticed that the lack of financing still is the highest barrier for women entrepreneurs when it comes to starting and developing a business, as well as for applying advanced digital technologies, followed by lack of skills and knowledge, access to networks and mentoring, and policy support. But when it comes to circular economy transition, it is interesting to be noted that the highest barrier for women entrepreneurs is the lack of information, including a general one, about what is circular economy and main principles, what are the possibilities suitable for business as well as options for specific sectors as Agriculture and Food, Textile and Fashion, then it is the lack of knowledge and skills on how to make the change, including the legal regulations and requirements. It is interesting to mention that lack of time for implementing a circular transition – because of personal engagements or overloaded with business tasks is indicated by women entrepreneurs on the 3rd place and lack of financing is on the 4th place".

Emilija Stručić, EU Funds and Finance consultant,  Technology Park Varaždin, Croatia shared the positive tendency in more and more women to establish circular businesses.

Hana Palušková, Slovak Business Agency, Slovakia presented all the  opportunities provided by SBA for circular transition of women entrepreneurs which are to come soon.

Corina Banu, Impact Hub Bucharest, Romania shared positive examples of projects led by women entrepreneurs led by women that includes circular economy as a new business model and driver of growth.

 Andrea Enyingi-Kurucz, Pannon Business Network (PBN), Hungary talked about activities of PBN in support for digitalization and using of artificial intelligence in overcoming traditional barriers in women's entrepreneurship.

Valentina Morosan, Organisation for the Development of Entrepreneurship (ODA), Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Moldova gave an  overview  about the funding programmes implemented by ODA in support of women entrepreneurs in Moldova, as well as support for digital and green transition of the businesses.

This event provided a valuable platform for networking, sharing best practices, and exchanging knowledge, contributing significantly to the promotion of female entrepreneurship across the Danube Region.