Girls! TECH UP Day debuts in Western Austria
- 07.03.2025
- General
The Girls! TECH UP Day was a hit with the visitors.
Girls! TECH UP Day celebrated its premiere in western Austria on February 28 – with great success! 200 enthusiastic participants explored interactive stations at the Kufstein Tirol University of Applied Sciences to experience technology up close. The event, organized by OVE and Standortagentur Tirol, exceeded all expectations.
At the end of February, Girls! TECH UP Day took place for the first time in western Austria at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol. Around 200 female students from Tyrol and Salzburg took the opportunity to familiarize themselves with future technologies in interactive workshops and at hands-on stations. The event was organized by the Austrian Electrotechnical Association (OVE) in collaboration with the Standortagentur Tirol and offered girls the chance to gain practical insights into the world of technology.
AWAKENING ENTHUSIASM FOR TECHNOLOGY
The official opening took place at 8:30 a.m. in the “Festsaal” (Festivities Hall) of the FH Kufstein Tirol. In her speech, the Tyrolean State Councilor for Education, MMag.a Dr.in Cornelia Hagele, emphasized: “Girls! TECH UP shows young people their opportunities and arouses their interest in technology. This is an important task because the economy urgently needs motivated young professionals.”
Gerhard Fida, President of OVE, also emphasized the importance of the event: “I am delighted that we have now been able to bring our successful Girls! TECH UP format to western Austria for the first time. The enthusiasm of the girls once again confirms that the electrical engineering and information technology industries can only benefit from more female professionals.”
THE GIRLS' ENTHUSIASM CONFIRMS IT AGAIN: THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY CAN ONLY BENEFIT FROM HIRING MORE WOMEN.
KommR. Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Fida
President of OVE
During the conversation, Fida also emphasized that Girls! TECH UP is planned as an Austria-wide initiative and that Kufstein is an important step towards nationwide interest in technology. It is particularly crucial to get young girls interested in technical professions from the age of twelve. It is at this stage that many of them make their most important educational decisions. “Electrical engineering is already the most popular apprenticeship for boys, but girls still have a lot of catching up to do,” says Fida. It is important that parents also support their daughters in their technical interests.
INTERACTIVE STATIONS AND NUMEROUS EXHIBITS
The FH Kufstein Tirol hosted the event and was represented by its technical degree programs Drone Engineering & AI-Based Innovation, Energy & Sustainability Management, Coding & Digital Design, and Industrial Engineering & Management. In addition to the higher education institution, numerous companies presented themselves, with the following companies participating as corporate partners:
The first Girls! TECH UP Day at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol was a colorful mix of fun, excitement and many an “aha” moment for the female students.
The interactive stations, including a chocolate 3D printer, a laser cutter for making customized key fobs and a drone obstacle course, were particularly popular. An interactive climate simulation also gave visitors an insight into the effects of CO2 reduction measures.
POSITIVE RESPONSES
The feedback from the participants was consistently positive. Lena, a visitor, was particularly impressed that the program is aimed specifically at girls and young women. She was especially interested in the IT area, as she is already interested in it at school: “IT is one of my favorite subjects. I like programming things.”
Lana, Alex, Laura and Eylül also attended Girls! TECH UP Day. The four students from the Ilse-Brüll-Gasse secondary school were impressed by the event. “Wow, there are so many things to see and great things to get. It's really impressive!” said Lana. She is particularly interested in mathematics and architecture and would like to work in this field later on. They were given the opportunity to participate through their school. “Our homeroom teacher asked who was interested in the topic. We raised our hands because technology is a very exciting subject for us,” Alex explains. She is particularly interested in electronics – an interest she shares with Eylül, whose father is an electrician. ‘I like watching him work,’ she says. She follows his assignments with great interest as soon as the opportunity arises.
Alex and Laura also gained valuable insights from the event. Alex describes how she once built a small electric car with her cousin – an experience that sparked her interest in technology. “I found it extremely exciting.” Laura feels the same way and enjoys building remote-controlled cars with her father.
Whether it's their first experience of programming, an enthusiasm for electronics or for technology in general – all five are in good hands at Girls! TECH UP Day.
CONTINUED PLANNED
In an interview, Dr. Marcus Hofer, CEO Managing Director of Standortagentur Tirol, emphasized the initiative's importance for the business location: “Tyrol's economy and science are in urgent need of technical specialists. There is still a backlog, especially among girls, because interest in technology often wanes after a certain age. Girls! TECH UP is designed to start early in order to ensure more diversity in technical professions in the long term.”
Hofer sees Kufstein as an ideal location because the Tyrolean lowlands are a hotspot for technology-oriented companies. “The high level of response at the first event shows the great potential. Tyrolean companies benefit from the event by showing their presence, making their fields of activity visible and getting in touch with future specialists at an early stage,” Hofer concludes.
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