Brussels, Belgium. Cyprus used the Women Who Built Europe Summit to call for stronger female participation in research and innovation programmes, highlighting 35 Cypriot women across government, business and technology. Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides said a leadership mindset remains key to narrowing the gender gap.
Summit and discussions at the Council of the European Union
Speaking during a high-level fireside chat at the Council of the European Union on March 17, Skourides said closing the gender gap requires “both structural policy and cultural transformation”. He added that progress depends on “collaboration between genders, as well as a shared commitment to reshaping mindsets and enabling inclusive growth”.
Organisers and attendees
The summit was organised by European Female Founders and hosted by member of the European Parliament Tsvetelina Penkova. It was moderated by EU Female Founders president Monika Stanisheva and brought together women founders, innovators and entrepreneurs from across Europe.
Among those attending were Penkova, former ministers Milea Stoycheva and Lilyana Pavlova, Startup Portugal executive director Miguel Aguiar, European Commission Task Force on Startups and Scaleups member Andreea Ticheru, as well as representatives from startups and scaleups across the wider European ecosystem.
Research and Innovation Foundation measures and results
During his keynote address, Skourides presented policies introduced by the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) to empower women researchers to take on leadership roles. He said that, between 2023 and 2025, the foundation launched 90 calls for proposals and signed contracts worth €100 million.
He said the initiatives created 739 new jobs in cutting-edge sectors, of which 209 were held by women. He added that 372 businesses were supported, 187 collaboration networks were established and 184 companies partnered with research organisations.
Skourides also said measures introduced through postdoctoral research funding programmes led to a marked rise in female participation. He said 61.16 per cent of submitted proposals were led by women coordinators, compared with 29.67 per cent in previous calls, while 76.4 per cent of funded projects were awarded to women, compared with 23 per cent in earlier programmes.
Alignment and gender representation figures
Skourides referred to alignment with the European Commission’s White Paper on Artificial Intelligence.
He also cited Cyprus’ broader gender representation figures, saying women account for 42.3 per cent of participation in science, engineering and STEM fields, and 29.3 per cent in ICT, and noting 37 per cent representation in the cabinet.
What measures do you think are most effective in increasing women’s participation in research and innovation?
