• The discussions touched on several key topics, including:
  the gender distribution within Hungarian enterprises and the structural barriers women entrepreneurs continue to face (e.g. financing difficulties, lack of targeted policy frameworks), and the policy and practical interventions planned across the region, such as training programmes, mentorship networks, regional hubs, and dedicated services for women-led businesses.
• For the IMPACTA project, this professional exchange was especially valuable, as our mission is to:
  support vulnerable women in their integration into the labour market, strengthen the role of women entrepreneurs and investors in the field of social innovation, and develop new, transnationally applicable models that can drive long-term change across the Danube Region.

The shared focus of the two projects, women’s economic empowerment, innovation, digital and circular transition, policy dialogue, and system-level awareness raising, clearly highlights the potential for meaningful cooperation.

We believe that the Danube Region can only achieve truly sustainable and inclusive development if the support of women entrepreneurs and innovators is placed at the centre. The meeting provided important professional connections and new perspectives, which we will integrate into the ongoing work of IMPACTA.

IMPACTA is implemented with the support of the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Széchényi Programme Office.

The implementation of RE-FEM consisted of several interlinked activities in order to provide efficient entrepreneurial development for women through research, needs-based, high-quality training materials, e-learning modules and establishing an international network group for all the target groups involved in the project. The project results are the following:
● The partnership first conducted a comparative research to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges women entrepreneurs faced in the post-pandemic era.
● Based on the research results, partners’ expertise and knowledge in developing adult education, the partnership developed an inclusive and accessible Training Manual containing training materials and methodologies, and an Open Education Platform with an online course for training entrepreneurs. The training materials were introduced to the wider public through pilot training and public stakeholder events in all partner countries.
● During the projects lifetime, the partnership lay the foundation for an international network, where women entrepreneurs, associated partners and consortium members had the opportunity to connect, build relationships, and learn from each other.
● RE-FEM formulated policy recommendations to define directions for adult education, entrepreneurship, and the labour market to support women entrepreneurs in building and managing resilient businesses in the age of digital transformation. The recommendations are summarised in the RE-FEM ‘Policy Study’.

We provide a detailed overview of the results achieved during the final six months of the project in our final newsletter, which is available to the public by clicking here. Articles about the main milestones reached within the project can be accessed by clicking here.

The event opened with a warm welcome from Francisco Javier González Navarro, General Director of Entrepreneurship Promotion and Continuous Training at the Regional Government of Andalusia, who highlighted the importance of initiatives like RE-FEM in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This was followed by an insightful presentation from Dr. Katalin Oborni, Senior Project Manager at HETFA Research Institute, who offered an overview of RE-FEM’s journey and shared its main results and key achievements. Nadia Calviño, the President of the European Investment Bank Group greeted the participants. In her inspiring speech, Nadia Calviño highlighted that empowering women is not only a matter of fairness but also a catalyst for driving progress, stability and prosperity.

Veronika Blizman Servilová, Manager of International Activities from the Slovak Business Agency presented the Online Course, a course targeting women entrepreneurs, developed as part of the RE-FEM project. Daniela Kuzmanović, representative of Institute Mihajlo Pupin presented the Final Policy Study. This Final Policy Study (FPS) is a key and final result of the RE-FEM project. This study provides a comparative overview of the state of women entrepreneurs in seven partner countries (Bulgaria, Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Finland), showcases good practices, and presents policy recommendations aimed at national and EU-level decision-makers. The study aims to target multiple stakeholder groups. For policymakers, the findings provide an evidence base to inform the design and adaptation of support measures targeting women entrepreneurss. For educators and trainers, the analysis offers insights into training needs and highlights examples of effective practices. Finally, for women entrepreneurs, the documented experiences and solutions emerging from partner countries may serve as a source of both guidance and inspiration.

The series of presentations was concluded by Anna Häggblom (Finland), who gave a Keynote Speech on the role of digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in the field of resilience for women led businesses. The second half of the event featured two roundtable discussions. A detailed report on the roundtable discussions is available at this link.

Following the public closing event, the RE-FEM consortium held its final transnational meeting in Seville. The meeting reviewed the tasks related to the closure of the project, including the objectives and measures that will ensure that the results developed during the project remain available to stakeholders. To keep up to date with news related to the support of women entrepreneurs, we recommend following the RE-FEM social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram).

Two key contributors to RE-FEM’s online course will be featured during the Talk. Dr. Katalin Oborni, Senior Project Manager at HÉTFA’s Division of International Cooperation, brings extensive academic and project coordination experience. Her expertise in gender equality, women’s leadership, and EU-funded initiatives (including Horizon and Erasmus+) has played a central role in shaping the course content and methodology. Alongside her, Katarína Gavalcová, Head of the International Projects Department at the Slovak Business Agency, will share insights drawn from her work on innovation and digital solutions. As an advocate for women’s engagement in entrepreneurship, her work supports the sustainable growth and global competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Please note that registration is a prerequisite for attending the session. Complete your registration via the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SRFYNPWEQROS3JC4tUZz8Q

We will upload the recording of the event to the RE-FEM YouTube channel, and will share it via the project’s social media platforms. For getting more information about the previous episodes of the RE-FEM Talks webinar series, visit the news section of the RE-FEM website.

The RE-FEM Erasmus+ project’s comprehensive online training materials have been developed by the RE-FEM Consortium to empower women entrepreneurs, trainers and educators with practical knowledge and skills. The project, coordinated by the HÉTFA aims to provide innovative training materials to mentors and trainers working with women entrepreneurs, thereby supporting women entrepreneurship. The course is designed to help participants elevate their businesses by addressing key areas such as digitalization, innovation, finance, crisis management and more. Structured into five modules, the curriculum provides targeted insights and tools that women business owners can apply to overcome today’s dynamic market challenges and foster sustainable growth. After the kick-off of the English RE-FEM Online Course in February, the course’s modules are now available in 8 additional languages; Bulgarian, Finnish, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Serbian and Hungarian.

Module 1, titled Digital Transformation and Digital Readiness is designed to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with the crucial digital skills needed to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving business environment. This module covers a wide range of topics, including digital marketing fundamentals such as website optimization, email marketing, SEO, content and video marketing, and influencer outreach. It also offers tailored guidance on building a strong and effective social media presence specifically for female-led businesses across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. In addition to marketing strategies, the module emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity by introducing essential principles to help entrepreneurs safeguard their businesses against common threats such as phishing and malware. It explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, demonstrating practical ways AI can automate routine tasks, improve marketing efforts, generate engaging content, and boost overall operational efficiency. Through this comprehensive training, participants will gain the confidence and tools to embrace digital transformation, protect their ventures, and leverage innovative technologies for sustained business growth.

Module 2, Access to Finance and Innovation, empowers women entrepreneurs with crucial skills to manage finances effectively and secure funding for business growth. The module covers key topics such as understanding legal and financial documents, evaluating company performance through financial ratios, assessing creditworthiness, and mastering the art of pitching to investors. In addition to financial management, the module focuses on fostering innovation by guiding participants through developing and implementing strategic innovation plans. With practical tools like SWOT analysis and the INNOVATE self-assessment method, women entrepreneurs learn to identify opportunities and challenges, strengthening their capacity to innovate and sustain long-term success.

Module 3 explores the topic of Servitization and Innovation, focusing on helping women entrepreneurs understand how to transform their business models from product-centric to service-centric approaches. The module introduces the concept of servitization as a way to add value through services, improve customer retention, and build competitive advantage. It also highlights the role of digital technologies in enhancing servitization. Beyond servitization, the module delves deeply into the multifaceted world of innovation, examining its various forms—from incremental improvements to disruptive breakthroughs—that drive business transformation. It emphasizes the importance of cultivating a culture of creativity and resilience within enterprises, equipping women entrepreneurs with practical strategies to foster innovative thinking. Participants are guided through the entire innovation journey, including idea generation, evaluation, prototyping, commercialization, and scaling. The module also highlights the value of collaborative approaches such as open innovation and hackathons, which enable businesses to tap into external expertise and accelerate problem-solving.

Module 4 focuses on Sustainability in Times of Crisis, providing women entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge to develop sustainable business strategies that integrate economic, social, and environmental objectives. The module highlights the importance of building business resilience, enabling companies to adapt, recover, and thrive amid challenges such as economic downturns and global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants explore how to create and implement effective sustainability plans, manage risks, and adopt circular economy principles that reduce environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency. The module also underscores the vital role of women leaders in championing sustainable transformation, supported by real-world case studies that illustrate how sustainability initiatives contribute to competitive advantage, investor appeal, and long-term business success.

Module 5 discusses Gender Implications of Entrepreneurship and Personal Resilience and Well-being. This module explores the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face due to gender-specific barriers such as limited access to resources, societal expectations, and the double burden of work and caregiving responsibilities. It also highlights how understanding and addressing gender equality can unlock new business opportunities and foster inclusive growth. In addition, the module delves into the crucial role of resilience and well-being for entrepreneurial success. It offers practical tools and strategies to build mental and emotional strength, manage stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By developing resilience, women entrepreneurs can better navigate challenges, sustain their motivation, and achieve long-term personal and professional fulfilment.

On the website of RE-FEM, participants can access and download all training materials for each module provided in PDF format, including both document and presentation types.

At the end of every module, there is a self-assessment test designed to help learners evaluate their understanding of the respective training material. Upon successful completion of the test, participants will receive a digital certificate in English.

Explore the full range of course materials at: https://refem.eu/refem-online-course/.

The event brought together professionals relevant to women entrepreneurship, including directors, executives, key decision-makers, public sector representatives involved in relevant policy areas, as well as women entrepreneurs themselves — with the aim of discussing how to better support women entrepreneurs, assess the effectiveness of current policies, and explore potential new initiatives.

The event began with welcoming speeches by Gábor Balás, executive director of HÉTFA Research Institue, and Zsuzsanna Lukács Lakatosné, executive director of SEED Foundation. Katalin Oborni (HÉTFA), the RE-FEM project’s coordinator introduced the project, outlining its main objectives, key initiatives, and results.

The discussions covered five main topics: the impact of invisible work on women entrepreneurs, the specific challenges of rural women entrepreneurs, the opportunities presented by digital transformation, the role of education in supporting women entrepreneurs, and growth and investment from an entrepreneurial perspective. A number of concrete proposals and needs emerged from the dialogues, including more community support, targeted training programmes, mentoring opportunities, stronger public involvement and the promotion of flexible learning.

We would like to thank all participants for their valuable input, which will support the further work of the RE-FEM project. The lessons learned from the World Café events will be used to produce a Final Policy Brief, which will present the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the partner countries and the good practices that support their work. The study will also provide a synthesis of the development proposals made during the World Café events, with policy recommendations to improve the opportunities of women entrepreneurs. For the latest project news, visit the RE-FEM website and social media pages (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram).

The Danube Cup 2025 Conference is a free of charge conference for all participants. The submission portal for the conference is now open, the submission deadline being the 1st of June, 2025. Academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, trainers, and PhD students / young scientists are invited to contribute their insights, research findings or work in progress as well as good practice cases in the field of entrepreneurship education and research.

Katalin Oborni (HÉTFA Research Institute) hosts the session “Women Entrepreneurship in a Fast-Changing World: Expanding Horizons and the Role of Female Entrepreneurs in the Global Landscape” alongside with Orsolya Gergely (SAPIENTIA Hungarian University of Transylvania) and Márta Konczos Szombathelyi (Széchenyi István University). They encourage submissions that push theoretical and empirical boundaries, embrace creative methodologies, and foster interdisciplinary approaches, paving the way for an inclusive and diverse future research agenda in entrepreneurship. You can read more about the conference sessions through this link.

Click here to read more about the submission guidelines.

More than six hundred (608) respondents completed the survey from 7 European countries. The collected data provides valuable insights into the experiences and responses of women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery phase after the pandemic, shedding light on their resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges. The cross-country research helps to identify the needs of women entrepreneurs and provide a solid basis for the development of tailor-made activities focusing on innovative and practical solutions to support the up-skilling and resilience of women entrepreneurs. The basic research question was how women entrepreneurs managed to get through and become resilient in times of crises. The focus of our analysis is digitalization: did the rapid digital transition help women entrepreneurs become resilient during turbulent times? Did the practicing of digitalization-based resilience strategies (including remote work, online sales and similar approaches) improve women entrepreneurs’ operational efficiency and strength?

To find out more about the results through our most recent publication, click on this link.

iFEMPOWER seeks to empower female university students to get engaged in self-employment and entrepreneurship especially. The project is starting with an in-depth research on female entrepreneurs in each partner country based on personal interviews and focus groups. This will analyse the current situation and challenges faced by female entrepreneurs coordinated by HETFA.

Then an international curriculum for a complex module will be developed by partners gathered from three pillars of the knowledge triangle, i.e. businesses, business support organizations, the academia and universities.

The module will support university students from any fields to broaden their knowledge on entrepreneurship related topics with a special regard to work life balance. It will also provide hands-on training improving both hard and soft skills. Partner universities will test the curriculum, namely the Corvinus University of Budapest (HU), Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien (AT), Bifröst University (IS) and Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (RO).

The project represents and innovative and participatory approach by providing mentorship programme for students by connecting them to entrepreneurs. iFEMPOWER will also launch personal consultancy to provide further support for their engagement through the female entrepreneurship counselling points launched at each partner institution. Moreover, through an online toolkit all developed materials and necessary information will be accessible.

iFEMPOWER is starting in these days: the kick-off meeting is being held in Vienna on 13-14 September 2018 in order to agree on the main tasks and responsibilities and start the main work.   The official website and the social media channels of the project will start in due time. Till then, for further details stay tuned on www.hetfa.eu!

The partnership of iFEMPOWER consists of the following organisations: HÉTFA (HU), Andalucía Emprende (ES), Oneco Consulting S.L. (ES), Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien (AT), Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovaçao (PT), Bifröst University (IS), Corvinus University of Budapest (HU), Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (RO), Steinbeis GmbH & Co.KG für Technologietransfer (DE).

Moreover, the following associated partners contribute to the project:

• Lean in Femspace (AT),
• PONT Group (RO),
• Icelandic Directorate of Labour (IS).