• More than 160 students are taking part in this year’s edition of the programme, which aims to inspire scientific and technological careers among girls and young women.

This week, València is hosting the Technovation Girls Comunitat Valenciana Easter Hub Lab at La Harinera, an intensive learning programme where girls and young women participating in the international competition work on developing and presenting their technology projects.

Organised with the support of València Innovation Capital, the Easter Hub Lab brings together around 30 to 40 students at La Harinera for several days of intensive work as they prepare the final stages of their projects ahead of the next rounds of the competition.

The current edition of Technovation Girls, which runs over several months, has attracted more than 160 active participants out of 180 registered students from 39 schools across the Valencian Community. This continued growth highlights the programme’s success in encouraging scientific and technological vocations among girls and young women.

Paula Llobet, Councillor for Innovation at the València City Council, highlighted the importance of initiatives such as Technovation Girls in helping to reduce the gender gap in science and technology. “Scientific and technological careers often begin with a spark: a question, a moment of curiosity, a girl who dares to imagine that she, too, can help shape the future. Yet a significant gender gap still exists. According to UNESCO, fewer than 30% of researchers worldwide are women, and in Spain only around 16% of students enrolled in computer science-related degrees are female. That’s why we must inspire scientific and technological vocations from an early age and create role models that encourage more girls to explore these fields.”

Llobet added: “Through València Innovation Capital, the City Council is committed to building an innovation ecosystem that is also inclusive and creates opportunities for everyone. Programmes such as Technovation Girls enable young women not only to learn programming skills, but also to think creatively, innovate, collaborate and communicate ideas capable of transforming the world.”

Learning Technology—and How to Communicate It

During the Easter Hub Lab, participants not only continue developing the technical aspects of their projects but also work on one of the competition’s most important components: effectively communicating the impact of their technological solutions.

The students are developing the storytelling behind their projects, planning and recording their presentation videos, and producing the materials they will use to pitch their ideas to the Technovation judging panel.

To support them throughout this process, they are mentored by more than 45 professionals from technology companies, professional organisations and academic institutions, including Inditex, NTT DATA, Edicom, Datadec, AVEVA Group, ITI, GFT, and ACM-Women UPV. These mentors share their expertise and help participants strengthen both their projects and their presentation skills.

A Growing Educational Network

This year’s participants come from schools across the Valencian Community, including San José de Carolinas (Alicante), IES Antonio Sequeros, CEIP Vivers, Colegio Argos, Colegio Altozano, Escuelas Profesionales Luis Amigó, Mas Camarena, King’s College Alicante, IALE International School, American School of Valencia, Escolapias València, and IES Jordi de Sant Jordi, among many others.

This expanding educational network reflects the growing interest in initiatives that encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in technology, innovation and digital entrepreneurship.