23 October 2025
PENELOPE at BEHEALTH 2025: Advancing Gender Inclusion in Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship
On 22 October 2025, the BEHEALTH 2025 international conference organised by the Romanian ROHEALTH Cluster hosted a dedicated panel on Women in Health Research and Entrepreneurship, bringing together leaders from clinical practice, entrepreneurship, policymaking, gender equality and European innovation networks. The session explored key themes that shape women’s participation and leadership in the health sector: overcoming barriers, the role of mentorship and supportive networks, and the impact of European frameworks such as Horizon Europe’s Gender Equality policies.
As a partner in the PENELOPE project and expert in gender mainstreaming in innovation ecosystems, Lucia Seel was invited as a speaker to present European perspectives on gender inclusion in cluster and SME development. Her contribution highlighted the work and results of the PENELOPE project, which supports clusters and companies in integrating gender equality as a strategic driver for competitiveness, innovation capacity and organisational resilience.
During the panel, Lucia introduced the PENELOPE Training Handbook, the Video Pills, the Workshop Methodology, and the PENELOPE E-Learning Platform, a free online training resource offering adaptive learning modules for both clusters and SMEs. The platform’s gamified and practical approach was discussed as a concrete way to strengthen gender equality competencies within organisations and expand access to training across regions and sectors.
The panel brought together diverse perspectives from entrepreneurship, mental health services, research organisations, government institutions and international innovation networks. Discussions emphasised the importance of:
- Visibility of women leaders and their role in driving cultural and organisational change
• Mentorship and peer networks as critical mechanisms for professional growth
• Structural and policy-level support, including Gender Equality Plans, to ensure long-term change
• The role of clusters as multipliers and drivers of inclusive innovation ecosystems
The diversity of experiences shared by the speakers demonstrated that while challenges persist, women are shaping health innovation across Europe at every level: as entrepreneurs, clinicians, policymakers, researchers and platform builders/cluster managers.
PENELOPE’s participation in this event reaffirmed the project’s relevance beyond the industrial and SME context. Gender equality is a strategic asset across all sectors, including health innovation. Strengthening inclusion in leadership and decision-making is not only a matter of fairness — it directly enhances the quality, relevance and impact of innovation.
For more information, contact us at penelope@oxalis-scop.org.