On 14 October 2026, the GLOW-CE partnership organised Empow(H)ER Co-Lab: Connect & Shape Your Future!, a transnational online focus group bringing together women from four Central European regions.
Hosted and moderated by the lead partner, STRIA, the event involved 20 external participants and six project team members representing Southern Transdanubia (Hungary), South Bohemia (Czechia), Liguria (Italy) and Gorski Kotar (Croatia).
The focus group provided an opportunity for university students, aspiring entrepreneurs, early-stage founders and women already running small businesses to share their experiences, discuss common challenges and help shape the support activities being developed through GLOW-CE.
What did participants tell us?
The discussion highlighted several challenges faced by women starting or developing a business, particularly in rural and peripheral areas. Finding customers, building professional networks, accessing start-up finance, setting appropriate prices and maintaining confidence were among the main issues raised.
The four project partners also introduced their planned regional pilot activities, ranging from mentoring and workplace shadowing to local business outreach, career re-entry support and informal outdoor networking.
An interactive co-creation exercise gave participants the opportunity to identify their preferred training topics and learning formats. Marketing and Communication and Self-management and Work–Life Balance received the most selections among the proposed training modules, while mentoring and expert guidance emerged as the preferred form of support.
The findings will contribute to the further development of the Skill Development Programme – Joint Pilot Actionunder WP2 and help partners refine their regional pilot activities.
By involving women directly in the development process, GLOW-CE aims to ensure that future training and business support activities reflect their practical needs and experiences.
Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion and contributed their ideas!