Description
This project focuses on gender mainstreaming in clusters with application in the Moravian–Silesian Region. The principal goal of the project is the support of inclusion of the gender issue in all areas of innovation and boosting the innovation potential of clusters through the application of gender perspective and best practice examples from Norway. The project will contribute towards optimisation of using the potential of women for innovations regarding their involvement and remaining in the work process with the help of suitable solutions for work-life balance.The gender and relation to innovations areas come from Sweden and Norway. The contribution of theNorwegian partner, the Innovation Norway organisation, will primarily be the training of the realisation team, employees of the cluster organisations and their member companies, and the broader professional public in mainstreaming gender in innovations through the transfer of best practice and experience from Norway. Other activities involve gender audits in cluster companies and stating the extent of the gender sensitive approach in innovation and development strategies in the Czech Republic.
Summary of project results
This project focused on gender mainstreaming in clusters in the Moravian–Silesian Region. The main goal was to support integration of the issue of gender in the sphere of innovations and boost the innovative potential of clusters by applying gender perspective and practice examples from Norway. Project outcomes and outputs include three analyses of national and regional strategic documents that assess the scope and application of the gender-sensitive approach, benchmarking with similar Norwegian documents, and knowledge transfer from Norway (Gender in Innovations seminar), three gender audits in three companies (member companies of clusters in the Moravian-Silesian region), and integration of gender perspective in cluster strategies. Awareness of the role of gender in innovations was strengthened by many other outputs: a website, leaflets, an electronic anthology, press releases, etc. The project has achieved all its goals and had an impact on companies and clusters in the region and entities interested in gender issues throughout the Czech Republic. The long-term sustainability of the project is ensured by incorporating gender perspective in the strategies of clusters. We plan to use the project outcomes in our further educational activities, such as seminars and courses on clusters, innovation and competitiveness, and in preparing other projects.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partner (Innovation Norway) co-operated within the project especially on the activities such as the Gender in Innovation seminar and preparation phase of the benchmarking study (recommendation of the Norwegian strategic documents). The project partner’s professional contribution covered primarily the knowledge transfer via the Gender in Innovation seminar where the gender issues including gender in innovation from Norway perspective was presented by Torunn Aass Taralrud, the representative of the Innovation Norway. The knowledge transfer from Norway was essential for the project because the information gained from the project partner was used for the realisation of many activities, e.g. leaflets, press releases, benchmarking study and electronical compilation. The wider effect of the partnership can be seen in the dissemination of knowledge and good practices to the actors in the Moravian-Silesian region and other actors interested in the gender issues throughout the Czech Republic.