European innovation performance continues to increase, yet inequalities, particularly in access to investment, are still noteworthy. There is a need to close the performance gaps, which are still visible between Strong Innovators (North and West EU) and Moderate and Emerging Innovators (South and East EU mostly). A major asset to successful and sustainable business growth relies upon awareness and strong communication between innovative sectors and investors on available resources, their access and interventions by public/private funders. Improving networking between innovation ecosystems is key to the success of growing businesses and driving continued economic development. HER FUND’s ambition is to foster knowledge-sharing and synergies between innovation actors, existing initiatives/projects in order to support the next generation of startups, with an emphasis on women-led companies and gender-conscious investors. These interactions will notably lead to best practices’ identification, capacity-building activities and guidelines. Strengthening and broadening an interregional collaboration hub will promote a more competitive EU and a more sustainable, inclusive, diverse and resilient world. This will be done in a community-driven, cross-functional, cross-sectoral, multiplier based way, with partners bringing together communities of experts from different deep-tech sectors from around Europe and beyond. HER FUND will 1) transform less connected territories into recognized and attractive innovation valleys that pool and reward investments, 2) create bridges between EU innovation ecosystems increasing access to capital and investment in less connected innovation ecosystems and allowing local start-ups benefiting from foreign investments, 3) raise the number of gender conscious investors in Europe for support to women-led companies, 4) boost women entrepreneurship, especially in Moderate and Emerging Innovators offering them access to more funding opportunities

The main objective of ST(R)E(A)M IT is to initiate change about the persisting gender inequalities in STEM education, research, and innovation to contribute to the implementation of the ‘The European Manifesto for gender-inclusive STE(A)M education and careers.’ The envisioned aim of the project will be achieved by 1) empowering underrepresented groups in STEM, 2) piloting and fostering the integration of STEAM approaches in STEM education by synthesising previous knowledge and networks, 3) promoting gender-inclusive career paths and increasing the talent pipeline in the STEM fields together with the attractiveness of STEM careers, 4) supporting STEM education providers through knowledge sharing, capacity building to remove gender-based barriers including gender stereotypes in STEM education. By encouraging sustainable collaboration of STEM-oriented businesses, secondary and higher education institutions, research organisations, as well as informal science education establishments, NGOs, and civil society organisations, ST(R)E(A)M IT provides several tools for closing the existing gender gap in STEM education and career.