Startup orientated innovation for creating female STEMpreneurs: The PANDA approach

Abstract

The industries of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) display a higher amount of male than female participants. When it comes to entrepreneurship in STEM industry the same picture is notable. The entrepreneur in STEM fields, the STEMpreneur, has been found gender biased. But the last years of gender research have shown that a female influence in business context is of high importance and improves business activities. But how to create more female STEMpreneurs? The German university of applied science Fresenius has developed a startup orientated cooperative innovation (SOCI) strategy, named PANDA, which connects established companies of the STEM industry and their business ideas with students of STEM study paths with the intension to inspire students of STEM study paths to become an STEMpreneur. This article analyzes the representation of female students in PANDA projects since 2017 until the first quarter of 2021 and discusses if PANDA can be seen as a helpful approach for creating more female STEMpreneurs.