LADYj.Tech3: spotlight on research at UBE
On 26 March, laboratories of Université Bourgogne Europe took part in LADYj.Tech3. During the event, visitors were able to talk to researchers, entrepreneurs and innovation players, take part in round-table discussions and discover the innovative projects of students and start-ups.
For its third edition, LADYj.Tech3, an event dedicated to international women in tech and industry, was a great success with the public who came to discover the full potential of start-ups, laboratories, UBE researchers and guests from FORTHEM Alliance. The afternoon was divided into three sessions: DijInnov Connect, Lady’s Industrie and the round tables.
Dij’Innov Connect session
During the session, visitors were able to hear pitches from students and a start-up, find out what they thought and answer questions from Laurent Gautier, vice-president of research development at UBE. After this introduction, Valentin Garneret, M2 student in the T2M master’s programme, Sarah Theroine, doctoral student in Language Science and Algorithms and a member of the LIB laboratory, and Cassandre Bedu-Ferrari, doctoral student in Molecular Microbiology and an expert in the evaluation of microgenomics, were given five minutes each to present their innovative projects, research and theses in various fields: food, health and digital technology.
‘LADYjTech has been an accelerator for us ‘
Cassandre BEDU-FERRARI, Scientific R&D Manager at BioAlva
‘I’m not alone, I’m surrounded by researchers and that’s lucky for me ‘
Sarah Theroine, PhD in Language Science and Algorithms, member of the LIB laboratory
Lady’s Industrie session
During the Lady’s Industrie session, the skills of women in industry were showcased through the discovery of inspiring career paths and concrete strategies. After an introduction including a presentation of Bourgogne Industrie with specific indicators on the role of women in the industrial sector by David Marti, President of the CUCM and Denis Hameau, Dijon City Councillor for Quality of Public Service, Relations with Users and Innovation, three speakers shared their experiences on two themes:
- Developing women’s careers in industry: experiences and success stories
- Attracting women to careers in industry: strategies and examples of innovative projects to make the sector more attractive
Round Tables session
Company directors, academics, researchers, students, innovation players… many of them attended the two round tables on International Women in Tech and Industry.
Following introductions by Marie-Hélène Juillard-Randrian, Vice-President for SMEs, Start-ups, Research and Technology Transfer, and Nathalie Koenders, Mayor of Dijon and 1st Vice-President of Dijon Métropole, the round tables got underway.
‘Scientific freedom is a common good in a democracy‘
Marie-Hélène Juillard-Randrian, Vice-President for SMEs, Start-ups, Research and Technology Transfer
Entitled ‘Industry under high voltage: how innovation boosts competitiveness’ and ‘Raising funds, conquering the world: the keys to scaling up’, the round tables gave the many guests the opportunity to talk about their experiences and share their advice to future start-ups.
For the first time, the event had an international focus, with the participation of two professors from FORTHEM Alliance partner universities. A look at the European guests: Eva Cathrine Skuthe, Co-founder and CEO of the development department of the start-up Oripatch AS – professor at the University of Agder and Ivana Pibiri, Professor of Organic Chemistry, awarded Italy’s best female innovator by the Itwiin Prize in 2023 – University of Palermo.
“Young people, this is important to participate, you need innovative ideas, ideas with impact”
Ivana Pibiri, Professor of Organic Chemistry, awarded Italy’s top innovator prize for 2023 – University of Palermo
This segment highlighted women directors of regional and European companies and start-ups, particularly but not exclusively in industry and services to industry. Coming from and/or using the results of public research, they set an example of the usefulness and efficiency of cooperation between laboratories and companies. Their innovative approach is a source of inspiration for all of them. The international stage is in their sights, or already in their practices!
