On 18 and 25 April 2024, the European Patent Office (EPO) in The Hague and Munich, in collaboration with local schools and partner organisations, welcomed more than 200 girls to celebrate "Gril's Day" 2024. This is the sixth year that the EPO has hosted this event.
The presentations at the event combined technology and creativity, giving the 11 to 14 year olds the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, build confidence and imagine new career paths. The girls were warmly welcomed by EPO Chief Technology Officer Roberta Romano-Götsch, who then took part in a 'Meet the Inventors' session, interacting with Carmen Borja, a finalist in the European Inventor Award 2014. In Munich, the children listened to a fascinating presentation by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) entitled 'The Sky is Not the Limit', while in The Hague the girls listened to a presentation by Energy Cave on geothermal energy production.
The EPO is committed to achieving its diversity and inclusion goals and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The EPO hopes to have more and more female examiners, inventors and STEM professionals in the future.
