FEMALE STUDENTS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

1. Present Situation – Brief description for development of entrepreneurship in Greece
Conclusions from the study on NTUA graduates with the title «The absorption of the NTUA Engineers in the labour market»

The only valuable data we have comes from the study undertaken by the NTUA Students’ Career Office, in collaboration with the National Institute of Labour. This study concluded in the following findings in relation with the entrepreneurship:

Entrepreneurship and intention of entrepreneurship

In the study, the term of entrepreneurship is used with the wider meaning of Employers and Freelancers because it was considered that the wider meaning of the term fulfils better both the engineering field and the thematic of the employment.
The entrepreneurial level of the young engineers of NTUA may be considered as high. One in three questioned (approximately 32,6%) answered that they have already created of participated in the start of a company (office). The mean age of starting a company is at the age of 28 years. Regarding the basic characteristics of the entrepreneurship, most of the

correlations confirmed as statistically significant were expected:

• Men intend for entrepreneurial activities more than women (35,9% against 26,7%),
• The specialities of building construction (civil, architects, surveyor) more than other specialities (see table),
• The graduates who have gained professional experience before the end of their studies more than the others who have not (40,9% against 24,6%),
• The engineers without postgraduate studies more than the ones with (38,3% against 20,5%),
• The engineers of the Province more than the ones

of Attica (64,2% against 27,4%),
• The engineers who have a father engineer more than ones who do not have (42,9% against 31,2%).

Besides, it was expected that the largest part of the entrepreneurship would choose the building-construction field.

Business Incubators

• www.iven.gr

Anyone that has an innovative idea that creates new markets or changes or improves existing ones are welcome to submit their proposal. iVen particularly welcomes business plans from Universities or Research Centres. IVen is financed by an affiliated company of the National Bank of Greece and the Ministry of Development within the program “ELEFTHO” and it covers the area of Attica. In 2003, iVen has already agreed to a strategic alliance with the European incubator known as “Gorilla Park”.

iVen plans to invest up to 750 thousand euro per incubatee.

• www.euroconsultants.gr

i4G (Incubator for Growth) is financed by the consulting company “Euroconsultants” and the Ministry of Development within the program “ELEFTHO” and it is situated in Thessaloniki. i4G especially focus on the following branches:

- information and communication technologies
- environment and energy services and technologies
- specialized designers/consultants services
- new materials and industrial design for products and structures
- micro-electronics

ACTIONS TO ENCOURAGE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS

Ministry of Education

Measure 3.1 «Encouragement of the entrepreneurial action & innovative applications»

General Secretariat of Young Generation

Besides within the 3rd Community Support Framework, the project of Booths of Youth Entrepreneurship is under progress by the General Secretariat of Young Generation which appeals to male/female students, graduates of Tertiary Education, of the Public Centres of Vocational training and other faculties. It also appeals to present entrepreneurs and also to companies owned by young people and which are in the early stage.

Ministry of Development

The Ministry of Development has already activated an action which concerns the Female Entrepreneurship, referring to women, aged from 18 to 55 years old, with no previous professional experience. The program aims at the development, support and promotion of the female entrepreneurship, through financial assistance for the creation of new and viable SMEs (Measure 2.8, Action 2.8.2 ).

General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT)

Within the framework of the 3rd Entrepreneurial Program (2001-2006) in the Entrepreneurial Program of Competitiveness of the Ministry of Development, a lot of effort is done for the first time to introduce the gender mainstreaming. The promotion of the female participation within the framework of the Research & Development Activities of the GSRT is provided in the Axis 8 which is quoted to “Human Resources” and specifically

ACTION 8.3.4 "Monitoring of the gaps in Research & Technology in the labour market and location of the gaps in R&T specialties".

Within the framework of the goals of this Action, the following Community Actions are in progress: a) the FEMALE NETWORK as a communication platform among the female scientists (Community Action 24), b) the NATIONAL OBSERVATORY for the definition of INDICATORS (Community Action 25) and c) the FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP for the mobilization of women in the private sector (Community Action 26).

FEMALE SCIENTISTS - ENTREPRENEURS

This action concerns exclusively the development of female entrepreneurship, with target the development of Spin-off enterprises by Female Scientists/Entrepreneurs.

ACADEMIC ACTIONS

SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS

It is a fact that the promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit is not sufficiently present in the Educational Institutions and this is reflected upon the professional choices of the graduates. Therefore, a more methodical and active intervention is needed regarding the promotion of the entrepreneurship. The encouragement of the entrepreneurial action in the NTUA is dealt with the introduction of the Course on Entrepreneurship, during the studies as as optional course and with the enlargement of the Students’ Carrier Office on entrepreneurial matters.

Specifically:

«Encouragement and Support of the Entrepreneurship of Students/Graduates through the Students’ Career office»

The planned activities within the framework of the above Project are grouped to the following:
• Collection of informative material (design databases informing on Institutional –Legal Framework for the start and operation of the company, financing opportunities for the creation of new companies, financing and incentives for the development of the female entrepreneurship)
• Information –Support

«Development and Introduction of Entrepreneurship Courses and accompanying actions in the NTUA»

The aim of the above mentioned project is to create and introduce an optional course to the program of the pre-graduate studies of the 8 Departments of the NTUA, which will allow the familiarisation of the male/female students of the NTUA with the concept of the entrepreneurship in the form of knowledge, culture and career choice.

2. Best practice on Present Situation – Brief description for development of entrepreneurship in Greece

• www.igvp.gr

The core business of IGVP is the elaboration of specialized studies and the installation supervision of innovative projects that respond to IGVP fields of activity. The successful involvement of IGVP in innovative projects contributed to an average annual rise of the company's turnover and net profits by 45-50%, while, the design of novel products and services resulted into the creation of spin-out companies.
Furthermore, the aforementioned activities of IGVP were of decisive importance for obtaining the award for "Best Young Entrepreneurship" for the year 2000 by the Hellenic Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises. Moreover, IGVP represented Greece at the international conference on Women Entrepreneurship (OECD) and was chosen for consulting the Greek government in maters of entrepreneurship in e-economy (e-business forum). Finally, due to IGVP activities in the research and development field, a national patent has been granted to the company, while several articles in international scientific journals and technical magazines and several presentations in Greek and international conferences, have been published by IGVP staff. Moreover, the Research, Development and Technology Transfer Department of the company has permanent collaboration with the majority of University research teams on the area of chemical engineering. These collaborations enable the exchange of ideas, the participation in research projects and when it is necessary, the sponsorship of scientific conferences and the finance of small projects on applied research.

• www.diastasis.gr

This company was established in 1996 by two young and ambitious women who chose to work on IT and especially on digital printing of big surfaces in order to cover needs of publicity.

It has 18 employees and it specializes on outdoor publicity and indicatively:
• Graphics on glass building surfaces
• Decoration of internal spaces
• Graphics on vehicles

The company has obtained the award for "Best Business Plan" and a special award for female entrepreneurship by the Hellenic Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises.