On November 19th, JA Europe hosted a STEM4Entrepreneurship Forum & Gala Dinner, a celebration of innovation, education, and entrepreneurial spirit and a call to action to boost STEM education and careers among Europe’s youth. The event brought together prominent figures from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Institute of Technology, educators, young entrepreneurs, and leadership from JA Europe network and industry. The event served as a reminder to Europe’s leaders, educators and businesses about the critical need to significantly scale investment into STEM and entrepreneurship education programmes for young Europeans in order to build a more innovative and competitive Europe on the global stage.
The event opened with an inspiring speech from Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, emphasizing the crucial role of STEM education in driving economic growth and shaping the future of Europe.
Salvatore Nigro, CEO JA Europe said: “JA Europe and its members and partners have a long track record of inspiring and training young people in STEM and Entrepreneurship programmes. Today’s rapid digitalization of our economies calls for a significant scaling of our effort, and hence we have joined strategic initiatives like the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative and developed new modules blending AI and entrepreneurship. We call on all stakeholders to invest and create opportunities at scale for youth in the areas of STEM skills and careers. It is urgent and critical not only for Europe’s youth to thrive in the digital economy but also for Europe’s competitiveness in the global race for talent and innovation.”
Celebrating a track record of 15 years anniversary of the Sci-Tech Challenge initiative, Antonella Sopranzetti, ExxonMobil and Noah Lievens, JA Europe Sci-Tech Challenge 2021 Alumni, participated on a panel moderated by Diana Filip, JA Europe Deputy CEO. They discussed the positive impact of blending STEM and entrepreneurship education and the importance of developing the next generation of scientists and engineers to work on the technologies needed for the energy transition.
“Science and technology underpin everything we do at ExxonMobil,” said Antonella, who began her career as an engineer with the company and has been involved with the program since its inception. “That’s why we are committed to supporting STEM education and supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers. We’ve worked with over 62,000 students over the course of the program and it’s been rewarding for both ExxonMobil volunteers and the teachers and youth we’ve mentored over the years.”
The event also showcased the power of EdTech and entrepreneurship through a discussion moderated by Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe, and featuring Valerie Urbain, CEO of Euroclear and JA Europe Board Member, and Viktor Nedelchev, co-founder of the Bulgarian JA startup Pop!Ed. They explored how technology can revolutionize education and empower young people to become innovative problem-solvers.
Valerie Urbain, CEO of Euroclear highlighted “The next generation will need to be ready to face a largely different jobs market requiring new types of skills and the entrepreneurial spirit to overcome complex challenges. Now is the time to use new approaches in education – with engagement from the business community – to help nurture them for this.”
The evening continued with a Gala Dinner opened by Joonas Ahola, a successful JA alumnus from Finland, giving his insights on the importance of practical entrepreneurship opportunities to inspire and empower young Europeans to start their own companies. Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, delivered a keynote speech reflecting on the future EU Agenda to build a sustainable future in close collaboration with youth, industry and educators.
To read about other highlights including JA Europe Teacher of the Year Award and the JA Model Organisation Awards please visit www.jaeurope.org/news
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network in over 40 countries provided 6 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats with the support of nearly 110,000 teachers and almost 90,000 business volunteers. In 2024, JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the third nomination in three years.
Press and media contact at JA Europe:
Minna Melleri, Chief of Advocacy and Growth, minna@jaeurope.org
