The Women Entrepreneurs in Regional Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems – WeRin Project brings together fourteen partners from network organisations, associations, research institutes, academia and businesses based in six European countries.
The partnership, overseen by FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), Germany is under the charge of Prof. Dr. Sue Rossano-Rivero. Her background lies in enhancing the learning experience of students and providing access to new knowledge for businesses with a research focus on entrepreneurial behaviour within organisations. The five HEIs will collaborate with five regional technology parks/ accelerator hubs on the project workshops, pilot testing and think tank events.
In Germany, MUAS is joined by Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt (WESt), an economic development agency in North-Rhine Westphalia. Our Dutch partners, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences are leading our research and discovery work package and are working closely with Impact Hub Amsterdam (IHA), a certified BCorporation committed to improving societal issues through entrepreneurial action. IHA specialises in promoting and supporting entrepreneurship projects by providing capacity building services, incubation, and acceleration services, among others.
The University of Zagreb is tasked with leading the projects Design and Deployment including Think Tanks, designing WeRLearnIn Principles, the WeRLearnIn Approach and setting up the WeRin Knowledge Port with educational resources. They are working in tandem with Croatian colleagues in the Technology Park Varaždin, a business support organisation that is setting up an incubation centre for innovative start-up companies and improving existing technologically innovative companies.
Munster Technological University (MTU) Ireland will support the University of Zagreb in the creation of the WeRin Knowledge Port as well as focus on capacity building having prior experience in Entrepreneur Development Programmes, with an emphasis on female empowerment. They engage extensively with enterprise and industry and are working with The Rubicon Centre, a leading business Incubator also based in Cork, and part of MTU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Turkey are charged with pilot testing and fine-tuning the WeRIn Toolbox and the WeRLearnIn Approach and are supported by their technology park ITU ARI Teknokent.
Other partners, supporting the work of the project includes German based, Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), an international quality assurance body dedicated to advancing higher education by supporting universities in their transformation process towards becoming more entrepreneurial and engaged. ACEEU are responsible for setting and monitoring the standards of project quality, as well as standards pertaining to entrepreneurial education within WeRin.
The University Industry Innovation Network’s (UIIN), in Amsterdam are leading sustainability and valorisation to continue sharing the outcomes of the project as well as guide its development beyond its three-year term. Irish Vocational Education Training (VET) service provider Momentum in Ireland are leading quality assurance and the dissemination and promotional activities. With a pan European focus, the European Centre for Women and Technology (EWCT) has a unique and keen focus on women-centred innovation. They will add a special impetus to the project as they take on the project’s evaluation and ensure the effectiveness of the project activities and results in the long term.
With a wealth of expertise, our WeRin partnership makes a solid foundation to start planning for the successful achievement of our intended project results. Please join these partners in conversation on our LINKEDIN page.
For more information on each organisation and project leader, click here.
