Beginning in July 2018, empirica coordinates a new large-scale project that facilitates peer-learning in two interrelated strands: entrepreneurship education (EE) and women entrepreneurship (WE). empirica coordinates this project on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW). It will last three years.

The objective of this project is cross-European dissemination and transfer of good practice in developing national and regional strategies and actions in EE and WE. Towards this end, the project will organise six cross-national work-shops: three on EE and three on WE, each with approximately 60 participants. They will take place at different European capital cities.

The key participants at these workshops will be representatives from national and regional governments, mainly from ministries of education and ministries of economic affairs. In addition, national and regional experts with various professional backgrounds will also take part. Participants will be invited to also interact before and after the workshops in an online community platform. Workshop results will feed into new European policy agendas for EE and WE. “This project is a great opportunity”, says empirica’s project manager Stefan Lilischkis. “It will probably not be easy to attract governmental representatives to participate. But our team has strong networks, and if we make it, the project can really make a difference.”

The project partners represent very strong expertise in research, conceptualisation, event management and dissemination expertise, wide and deep European and global networks, and experienced project management in both EE and WE: Junior Achievement, EY (formerly Ernst & Young), European Centre for Women and Technology, University of Wuppertal, and European Schoolnet.