Entain Foundation Partners with TU Berlin and Nexus Institute to Enhance Diversity in R&D

The Entain Foundation, a charitable trust set up by bwin’s parent company Entain, has partnered with TU Berlin (Berlin University of Technology) and the Nexus Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisciplinary Research to enhance diversity in R&D.

This will see a team led by Professor Hans-Liudger Dienel (head of the Department of Work, Technology and Participation at the Institute for Vocational Education and Work Education at Berlin University of Technology, and also director of the Nexus institute) develop a short-term executive training programme to promote Gendered Innovations.

Gendered Innovations employs methods of sex, gender and intersectional analysis to create new knowledge in medicine, engineering, and information and communication technology (ICT).

The executive programme developed by TU Berlin and the Nexus Institute is aimed at innovation managers, founders and start-ups as well as R&D personnel in the private sector, higher education and research organisations. Consisting of seven modules, the course combines theoretical teaching with practical tips for implementation in participants’ own organisations.

In the first four modules, participants learn about the theoretical background as well as ways to connect it to their own organisational setting. In the second part, participants develop their own project ideas and apply their knowledge to the practical sphere. The course ends with a pitching session, in which participants present and discuss their ideas.

It also provides inspiration and background information, enabling participants to push for Gendered Innovations in their own workplaces. In addition to the training programme, next year an interactive map for geocoded Gendered Innovations is to be developed, on which companies can present relevant projects.

Franziska van Almsick, Ambassador of the Entain Foundation, said about the project: “Some products and services on the market were developed from a male perspective and can have negative consequences for women when using such products. For example, facial recognition technologies trained with biased datasets may be worse at recognising women than men. I’m delighted that the Entain Foundation is addressing this important issue, and I’m very impressed by its dedication to promoting diversity in the technology sector.”

Professor Hans-Liudger Dienel, head of the Department of Work Education, Technology and Participation at the Institute for Vocational Education and Work Education at TU Berlin said: “The gender perspective, like the diversity perspective, is an eye-opener for new, innovative products and services. We intend to convey this perspective in our executive programme.”