INESC TEC hosted an event from the Enterprise Europe Network, which connects companies to international markets. Over the course of an afternoon, 15 women entrepreneurs stepped forward to showcase innovative ideas, share advice and receive support from European experts.
Entrepreneurs, advisers from the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises, institutional decision-makers and partners from the European innovation ecosystem all gathered at INESC TEC for an event that placed the best examples of Portuguese women entrepreneurship at the centre of discussion, demonstrating how innovation combined with knowledge and collaboration can propel ideas beyond borders.
All this took place under the Women Entrepreneurship: e-Catalogue Pitch & Networking initiative. Promoted within the framework of Enterprise Europe Network Portugal (EEN Portugal), the event hosted by INESC TEC filled an auditorium and transformed it, for an afternoon, into a space for sharing, visibility and international collaboration, bringing in experiences and advice from different regions connected remotely.
“For INESC TEC, as an active partner of EEN Portugal, this initiative reinforces our commitment to promoting inclusive innovation and supporting the development of women-led businesses and organisations, contributing to a more diverse and competitive business ecosystem,” explained Cristina Barbosa, INESC TEC researcher and event organiser.
When Clara Gouveia, member of INESC TEC’s Board, kicked off three hours dedicated to exploring this entrepreneurial experience, there were no empty seats left in the room: more than 30 people attended in person and over 60 joined online.
From Europe to INESC TEC
Before the pitches – 15 in total, with participants presenting their companies in “rapid-fire” format – there was time for a brief overview from the national partners of the EEN thematic group on women’s entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on INESC TEC, IAPMEI and the CEC-CCIC (Câmara de Comércio e Indústria do Centro), co-organisers of the event.
Throughout the afternoon, the role of EEN as a bridge between businesses, innovation and European policies was also reinforced. The programme included contributions from the European Commission, through DG GROW – the department responsible for economic growth and resilience – with Marijana Juras in attendance; as well as from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), with Idaira Robayna Alfonso presenting highlights from the EEN International Women Entrepreneurship thematic group. There was also a contribution from Beatriz Oliveira, EEN adviser at the National Innovation Agency, who outlined European funding instruments and incentives aimed at female entrepreneurship.
An “inspiring” afternoon
The highlight, however, was the presentation of projects included in the e-catalogue published annually by the EEN network, with women-led start-ups and initiatives taking to the stage to explain how they developed innovative solutions in areas like sustainability, health, industry and digital technologies.
I believe we heard inspiring stories and got to know other networks with whom the EEN can collaborate. We left this event with a set of ideas for the future,” said Ana Costa Paula, coordinator of the EEN network in Portugal, at the end of the event.
One of these “inspiring stories” came from Neide Vieira, CEO of IPLEXMED, a company that manufactures rapid, portable and connected genetic diagnostic devices: “It was my first time at this event, and it was very important; getting to know the ecosystem, hearing different pitches, discovering support contacts and opportunities to empower women-led businesses”.
Emília Simões, founder of Last2Ticket, highlighted the “valuable moments of contact, sharing and networking” that the event fostered. The CEO of the company, which develops Artificial Intelligence solutions for event and ticketing management, works with INESC TEC as her EEN adviser and emphasised the institute’s role “during certain stages of the company”.
Last2Ticket and IPLEXMED are two of the 187 project, company and organisation pitches led by women featured in the e-catalogue. Across all pages, it is possible to find innovative ideas from 24 countries, organised into eight categories, supported by 64 network advisers, towards disseminating their initiatives, skills and collaboration opportunities.
Participants also attended a panel dedicated to women leadership, where Purificação Tavares, from Unilabs, and Marta Araújo, from Neonia, shared experiences and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of women-led businesses. Both founders of the Associação Rede Mulheres Líder, they emphasised the importance of collaboration networks, internationalisation and resilience as key pillars for the recognition and sustainability of women managers in the business context.
The programme also included a panel on occupational health, focusing on the gender dimension, shedding a light on the importance of more inclusive working environments. Maurizio Curtarelli, researcher at the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), stressed that “it is essential to design healthier, safer and more inclusive workplaces”, emphasising that “risks in occupational safety and health are not gender-neutral”.
The expert also warned of distinct physical, psychosocial and organisational risks, e.g., stress, workload and work–life conflict, which are often underestimated despite their direct impact on productivity and wellbeing.
According to Cristina Barbosa, the event took on “a symbolic role in marking the end of March”, within the broader context of celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March. “In this context, a continuous ambition is reaffirmed: to strengthen the creation and growth of businesses, projects and social economy organisations led by women, both nationally and internationally, as drivers of economic development, social innovation and sustainable impact, supported by the reach and connectivity of the EEN network,” she concluded.
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