Engage
From idea to action.
About Engage
As part of OptoSuRe’s spillover activities, we are excited to introduce "Engage," a pioneering program designed to empower women researchers in their commercialization pursuits. Recognizing the unique challenges women face in entrepreneurship, such as systemic obstacles and gender biases, it is essential to provide them with the extra support needed to overcome these hurdles.
Engage is...
- a 9-week training program for women at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey who want to commercialize a scientific idea;
- delivered virtually to enable pan-European participation;
- free of charge;
- without obligations and;
- qualifying for further entrepreneurship and business development training.
Criteria and benefits
Participation criteria
This opportunity is open to researchers at the Master, PhD, and Post Doc levels. Applicants should have a particular interest in one of the following areas of focus:
- Optics and Photonics.
- Micro and Optoelectronics (spanning the value chain from Components over Systems to Applications such as Visualisation, Illumination, Sensing, and Medicine/Health).
- Digitization (excluding pure software development, pure machine learning/AI approaches).
- Smart Manufacturing.
- Linking the focus areas with aspects of sustainability, energy efficiency and resource efficiency.
Benefits of participation
- Broadening of peer network, which can lead to valuable connections and collaborations.
- Cultivating an innovation and growth mindset to drive personal and professional development.
- Implementing a methodology that encourages the identification and exploitation of commercial opportunities stemming from individual’s research.
- Gaining insights from successful entrepreneurial role models.
- Acquiring new skills, tools, and knowledge to enhance capabilities.
- Discovering and recognizing individual strengths and talents.
- Gaining a clear understanding of the path to commercialization for research endeavors.
Program details
Key program dates
• Online Briefing Event: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
• Applications Close: Wednesday, 4 February 2026
• Engage Cohort Announced: Wednesday,11 February 2026
• Engage Program Commences: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
• Engage Program Concludes: Wednesday, 08 April 2026
Program schedule
• Workshop 01: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Wednesday, 18 February 2026
• Workshop 02: Opportunity Assessment, Wednesday, 25 February 05 2026
• Mentor Meeting 01: Idea Audit, Wednesday 04 and Thursday 05 March 2026
• Workshop 03: Customer Centricity, Wednesday, 11 March 2026
• Workshop 04: Ecosystem Mapping, Wednesday, 18 March 2026
• Mentor Meeting 02: Reflections Preparation, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 March 2026
• Workshop 05: Presentation Skills, Wednesday, 01 April 2026
• Reflections Showcase: Wednesday, 08 April 2026
Award
Upon program completion, graduates will be awarded a Certificate of Completion for 25 training hours.
Cohort
Engage is a competitive call for ambitious European women researchers. A maximum of 20 participants will be selected to participate.
Cost
Program expenses are fully sponsored by ams OSRAM OptoSuRe, meaning that individuals selected to participate will not incur any costs.
Intellectual property
Each individual researcher retains full ownership and control over their Intellectual Property (IP). This means that any innovations, discoveries, or creations made before and during the Engage program activities belong exclusively to them. This policy fosters an environment where researchers are encouraged to pursue innovative ideas and protect their creations.
What our participants say
“This program was an incredible opportunity to learn about the entrepreneurial journey, connect with inspiring women and receive invaluable advice from mentors. After the program, I feel fully empowered and ready to move forward with turning my research into a real-world impact.”
- Katarzyna Szykula-Meurs
“The program was truly encouraging and insightful – it provided valuable perspectives and practical tools to take the next steps toward entrepreneurship. One very valuable aspect was the chance to connect with like-minded women and build a supportive network, the exchange of experiences and ideas was very encouraging.”
- Dr Maike Schröder
“I would like to recommend this training program to all women, whether working in academia or industry, interested in deepening their understanding of the research-to-business process and improving their ability to translate impactful scientific ideas into action, collaboration, and innovation.”
- Dr Donatella Puglisi
“Through Engage, I learned how to translate my research into marketable solutions. I highly recommend every woman to take part in this amazing program.”
- Christina Junger
“Engage was incredibly inspiring—Helen opened my eyes to the power of mentorship and brought in amazing entrepreneurs who shared their journeys. I only wish there were a Season 2!”
- Dr Hana Cizmarova
“Being part of the Engage Program was an empowering experience that helped me grow both personally, and professionally. I’m grateful for the connections I made and the inspiring community of women across Europe.”
- Dr Rany Miranti-Augustin
Questions
Email a query
For e-mail queries, please contact [email protected]
Office hours
Office Hours is a 15 minute chat with the program lead to see if Engage is a good fit for you.
Engage team
Engage, custom-designed by Alinea for ams OSRAM, is shaped by industry experts and underscores a commitment to excellence. It is founded on the principles of mentorship, complemented by administrative assistance, and delivers meaningful educational results.
Dr. Anja Schulz
Senior Project Manager Global Public Funding
Helen Fullen
Engage Program Lead