LEADERS – Women Innovators in Manufacturing at EIT Regional Innovation Scheme

Strategic Objectives 

EIT Manufacturing strategic objectives (SOs), as set out in the Strategic Agenda 2021- 2027, which steer the activities and ambitions, and will help respond to major challenges shared by the manufacturing industry and society.

• Put people at the center of manufacturing.
• Accelerate green manufacturing.
• Foster sovereignty and competitiveness.

Purpose 

• The prize is awarded to the to the three most talented women innovators in EIT RIS eligible countries who have significantly impacted the innovation ecosystem by transforming ideas into new and advanced solutions that benefit people and/or the planet. With this prize, EIT Manufacturing seeks to raise awareness of the need for more women innovators in manufacturing and create role models for women and girls everywhere.

Topic Description

• “LEADERS – Women Innovators in Manufacturing at EIT RIS” is open to applications from women innovators who have developed a solution fitting one of the following EIT Manufacturing strategic objectives (SOs), as set out in the Strategic Agenda 2021- 2027. These are the following:
  • Put people at the center of manufacturing, as for example:
    • Enhance work environment to make manufacturing jobs more attractive, safe, and inclusive.
  • Accelerate green manufacturing, as for example:
    • Promote circularity principle by shifting to a servitization model
  • Foster sovereignty and competitiveness, as for example.
    • Long-term industry transformation, with manufacturers developing new business models and revenue streams based on where continuous innovation, adaptability, and entrepreneurial thinking are the norm.

Budget and Funding

• The total maximum EIT funding allocated to this call is 22.500 EUR in the form of prizes and 3.600 EUR daily allowance in the form of a lump sum.
• Applicants compete for the following:
  • Up to 60 eligible applicants will receive online pitch training.
  • The 6 top-ranked finalists will have access to the in-person awarding ceremony and will receive visibility and international publicity through EIT Manufacturing’s communication channels.
  • The 3 top-ranked finalists in addition to the visibility, will receive also prize money. The Prizes for the 3 top-ranked finalists are the following:
    • 1 st 10,000 EUR
    • 2 nd 7,500 EUR
    • 3 rd 5,000 EUR
• The six finalists are invited to the in-person awarding ceremony, if they accept the invitation, are entitled to the reimbursement of incurred expenses for accommodation, meals, and travel. This is paid as one lump-sum amount known as a daily allowance. The allowance is capped at 600 EUR per finalist.

Expected Impacts 

The applications submitted are expected to contribute to the RIS objective of increasing the innovative capacity of countries and regions in Europe where the pace of innovation is modest or moderate. The activities impact should address some of all of the following RIS-related aspects:

• Increased awareness of EIT and EIT Manufacturing to women researchers and innovators from EIT RIS countries.
• Increased attractiveness of manufacturing after showcasing modern, novel solutions developed by the female candidates.
• a higher proportion of women involved in EIT Manufacturing RIS activities and EIT Manufacturing activities in general.
• in the long term, more women to be interested in pursuing a career in European manufacturing.

Applicants Profile

• All applicants must comply with the following eligibility criteria to participate:
  • must be a woman
  • must hold citizenship in the following EIT RIS-eligible countries:
    • EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia
    • Horizon Europe Associated Countries: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine
    • Outermost Regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), the Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands (Spain).
  • In case of a team invention, the applicant must be the leader or co-leader within the team that invented the innovative solution. In this case, their leadership role must be clearly described in the application form, and in any case, only one person from the team can apply for this competition.
• Applicants who have already received a LEADERS – Women Innovators in Manufacturing at EIT RIS prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activity.

For more information, visit EIT Manufacturing.