CLASCO Women’s Event at MSE 2024 Highlights the Growing Role of Gender in Research and Innovation

The first CLASCO Women’s event at MSE Congress 2024 provided a unique opportunity to explore the growing importance of gender in technical fields and European funding processes. Around 50 participants gathered on 25 September 2024 at MSE lunch break to engage in thoughtful discussions and listen to three highly engaging presentations that shed light on how gender considerations are moving beyond quotas to impact research and innovation in practical ways.

Prof. Gertraud Stadler (Charité Berlin) provided a fascinating overview of gender research in medicine, particularly its relevance to drugs and medical treatments. She drew important parallels between medicine and materials science and encouraged participants to apply lessons learned from medical research to improve gender integration in technical fields.

Prof. Gesa Beck (ABCircular) delivered a compelling presentation on gender dimensions in the context of occupational safety, using the EU-funded CLASCO project as a practical example. She highlighted how working conditions such as chemical exposure, noise and physical demands can have a unique impact on women in the workplace. Prof. Beck also stressed the importance of promoting gender equality within project teams, emphasizing that inclusive, well-balanced teams are key to more effective research environments.

The event fostered a valuable dialogue on the evolving role of gender considerations in European funding, particularly in relation to research projects in materials science and engineering. Participants left with a deeper understanding of how gender issues can positively influence organizational structures and innovation processes in emerging technologies.

We thank all participants for their thoughtful contributions and look forward to seeing the impact of these discussions in future projects! 

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