EU Seeks Input for Women in Innovation Action Plan
The European Commission has launched a public call for evidence to inform its first EU Action Plan for Women in Research, Innovation & Startups. The initiative aims to make Europe the leading destination for female innovators by 2030. The feedback will shape future policies and funding ecosystems to promote gender equality in the sector.
- The public call for evidence, which closed on February 23, 2026, invited a wide range of stakeholders to contribute, including citizens, businesses, academics, and NGOs. This feedback is intended to identify barriers and drivers for women in the sector and assess the impact of previous strategies. - This initiative is part of the broader European Research Area (ERA) policy, which has prioritized gender equality and gender mainstreaming in research since 2012. The action plan will also align with the "Choose Europe" campaign, promoting the continent as an attractive destination for researchers. - Data from the European Commission's "She Figures" report reveals persistent gender gaps. While women represent nearly half of doctoral graduates (48%), they remain underrepresented in senior academic positions, holding only 30% of top-grade roles. - The underrepresentation of women is particularly acute in specific fields. In Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), women account for only 22% of doctoral graduates. Furthermore, women represent less than a quarter of self-employed professionals in Science, Engineering, and ICT sectors. - In the business and enterprise sector, which employs the majority of EU researchers, only 22% are women. Additionally, women are significantly underrepresented as inventors, with only about one female inventor for every ten male inventors. - The initiative was announced in November 2024 by Ekaterina Zaharieva, the Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. The final action plan is scheduled for adoption in the second quarter of 2026. - To celebrate and promote female innovators, the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) jointly award the European Prize for Women Innovators. The prize includes categories for Women Innovators, Rising Innovators (under 35), and the EIT Women Leadership Award, with cash prizes up to €100,000. - Several other EU-funded projects are working to address the gender gap in STEM, including initiatives to create inclusive educational tools for girls and to develop a roadmap for science education in Horizon Europe. The EU also has specific targets, such as aiming for women to comprise at least 40% of STEM students at the tertiary level by 2030.
