On April 10–11, 2025, the partners of the PENELOPE Project convened in Linz for their fourth project meeting. Hosted by Lucia Seel International Consulting GmbH, the two-day event marked an important moment for the consortium: reviewing project progress, refining the final steps ahead of an upcoming major milestone, and outlining the roadmap for the remaining six months of the project.

Over the past months, the consortium has concentrated its efforts on developing a video toolkit offering practical resources for SMEs on how to implement gender equality actions. In parallel, the team has been finalizing an e-learning platform with two tailored training pathways – one designed specifically for SMEs and another for cluster organizations.

Looking ahead, an innovative methodology is being prepared to support clusters in delivering educational workshops aimed at embedding gender mainstreaming strategies within their ecosystems.

The project’s visibility within the cluster community continues to grow. Through consistent communication and outreach, the awareness and uptake of the project’s outcomes have significantly increased. A strong example is the PENELOPE Gender Equality Training Handbook, which has been downloaded nearly 600 times in just 15 months – a clear indication of demand for practical guidance in the field. (Access the handbook here: https://penelope-project.org/gender-mainstreaming-for-cluster-teams-handbook/)

The Linz meeting also provided an opportunity to deepen dialogue with regional stakeholders, notably through an exchange with the Human Capital Management network of Business Upper Austria. This facilitated valuable insights into the region’s approach to parental leave and career development, particularly through the KOMPASS initiative, which was recently featured in one of the project’s training videos in an interview with Irene Moser.

A further highlight came from Marlene Haudum, who presented the Upper Austrian Speakers’ Platform – a dynamic, continuously updated database of women experts across sectors including business, science, media, environment, and sustainability. This initiative impressed the partners as a standout good practice with strong potential for replication across other European regions, supporting visibility and representation of women as speakers at diverse events.

The PENELOPE Project is approaching a pivotal phase – stay tuned for the upcoming launch and get ready to be part of the change!

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