Reflections on the 1st Cycle of Experimentations: Empowering Women in Academia - AOE2

Description

The first cycle of experimentations within the GILL Project has provided invaluable insights into the challenges and aspirations of women in academia who are interested in entrepreneurship. Initially, our goal was to support those looking to establish spinouts or spinoffs linked to their research. However, through a bottom-up, iterative approach, we discovered a broader need: many women seek entrepreneurial opportunities beyond traditional university pathways and require stronger institutional support. This realization has led us to develop a Living Lab—a dynamic space where women can access business knowledge, connect with role models, and collaborate to build sustainable ventures. In this post, we reflect on the key learnings from our first experimentation cycle and outline how they will shape the next phase of our work.