10 women reshaping European manufacturing

European manufacturing landscape is rapidly evolving — as the industry rethinks its strategies for production, innovation and competition. But where are women in this shift?

Women founders, engineers and ecosystem builders are emerging as prominent figures. Their influence spans key sectors such as cleantech, circularity, biotech and AI — fields that are critical to ensuring a sustainable future for Europe. Yet representation still matters. In a sector historically dominated by men, visible role models are important to inspire the next generation.

This International Women’s Day 2026, we celebrate ten women who are reshaping manufacturing.

 

Lina Moritz, Innovation Ecosystems & Public Partnerships at Volvo Group 

Lina works at the interface of industry and public collaboration, helping steer one of Europe’s largest vehicle manufacturers towards a zero-emission future. At Volvo Group, she contributes to innovation ecosystems that accelerate fossil-free transport, circularity and energy transition across Europe through public projects and partnerships. Her role reflects a broader shift in the commercial vehicle industry: decarbonisation is no longer a side project, but a systemic transformation requiring cross-sector partnerships. By aligning industrial actors with public stakeholders, she works on translating climate ambition into deployable solutions.

Lina actively promotes women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). And when asked for advice for young women starting a career in manufacturing, she said “find role models, don’t be afraid to reach out to people and be the one who holds the door open for the next person”.

 

Farnaz Baksh, Founder of Robot Study Companion 

Farnaz co-developed the Robot Study Companion (RSC), which helps address the academic and emotional support gaps faced by university students — particularly those in resource-limited environments. Rooted in peer-reviewed research, the open-source device provides personalised study support, reinforcing motivation and resilience.

Farnaz earned third place in the EIT Changemaker Award 2025. Her achievement reflects the broader recognition that inclusive education is foundational to Europe’s industrial competitiveness.

 

Susanna Partanen, CEO & Co-Founder of Woamy

Susanna is tackling plastic waste, one of the most urgent challenges in manufacturing industry. As the Co-Founder of Woamy, she focuses on replacing harmful plastic foams with bio-based alternatives designed for circularity. Her innovative approach integrates material science, design thinking and business acumen, highlighting how true innovation in manufacturing often starts with reimagining the materials themselves.

EIT Manufacturing’s investment has been instrumental in accelerating Woamy’s growth, providing not only financial support but also strategic guidance and valuable industry connections to enhance its impact.

 

Charlotte Stigen Låstberg, CEO & Founder of Digiclean Solutions

Charlotte is tackling inefficiencies that often go unnoticed in industrial production: chemical and fluid use. Through Digiclean Solutions, she has developed AI-powered, plug-and-play sensors that allow factories to measure and optimise chemical consumption in real time. The result is reduced waste, lower emissions and extended fluid life — practical steps towards more sustainable manufacturing operations.

Her third-place recognition in the EIT Venture Award 2025 highlights the growing commercial interest in industrial cleantech solutions. By working to make industrial processes more transparent and measurable, she demonstrates how digital tools can play a role in supporting Europe’s green transition.

 

Mariia Alipatova, CEO & Co-Founder of Tova

Mariia is an engineer and entrepreneur, building practical energy-saving solutions for factories and warehouses. With expertise spanning mechanical engineering, materials science and industrial systems, she is developing a solution to reduce energy consumption in manufacturing environments. Since founding her startup in 2021, she has earned recognition across European innovation platforms, from Green4Europe to EIT Manufacturing  RIS LEADERS Competition 2024, where she was awarded third place. Her work proves how small, agile startups can influence the larger industrial players.

At a time when energy resilience is central to Europe’s economic stability, her leadership reflects the growing importance of engineering-driven entrepreneurship.

 

Lidia Kuti, CEO & Co-Founder of Smobya

Lidia and the Smobya team are industrialising bacterial cellulose, bridging the gap between its lab-scale promise and real-world impact. After identifying systemic issues in the fashion supply chain, Lidia co-founded Smobya in 2022 to develop Bacterial Nanocellulose (BNC) as a high-performance alternative to animal and plastic-based materials.

Drawing on lessons from earlier material startups, Smobya is building a data-driven platform technology designed to enable robust, large-scale BNC production across multiple applications. The company is currently establishing demo operations at Brightlands Greenport Venlo to support the infrastructure needed for next-generation sustainable materials.

Lidia is an alumna of the Supernovas Manufacturing Forum 2025, Rocket Up 2025 and winner of the Women TechEU programme.

 

Jekaterina Romanova, Founder & CEO of Printymed

Jekaterina leads the development of biomimetic spider silk materials engineered for wound healing, implants and artificial organs. By combining synthetic biology with scalable fibre-spinning technologies, her company bridges laboratory science and manufacturable healthcare solutions. Her earlier ventures — from personalised 3D-printed bone grafts to wearable posture technologies — reflect a consistent focus on precision, sustainability and human-centred design.

Jekaterina is the winner of Women TechEU Cohort 3 and her company is a graduate of the EIT Jumpstarter 2023, as well as the Post-Jumpstarter in the US.

 

Yaren Özdemir, Co-Founder & CMO of Beespenser 

At Beespenser, Yaren leads sales, marketing and strategic partnerships, working to introduce dispenser-based additive manufacturing to the electronics industry. With a background in physics engineering, she helps strengthen collaboration with R&D centres, industry and academia. Yaren aims to challenge common industry misconceptions about additive manufacturing. She sees additive manufacturing as a strategic enabler of innovation, not a direct replacement for conventional production. 

In 2024, Beespenser joined the EIT Manufacturing Venture Building Programme and became the first company in Türkiye to receive its investment, supporting the company’s expansion and technology scaling across Europe.

 

Megi Mejdrechová, Co-Founder of RoboTwin  

Megi founded her startup in 2021 to make industrial robotics more accessible. Through a no-code, motion-imitation approach, she is helping manufacturers teach robots new tasks without programming — lowering costs and reducing the complexity often associated with automation, particularly for small and medium-sized companies. 

Her work in human-centred robotics has been recognised through several awards. In 2021, she took part in the EIT Jumpstarter and received first prize in the EIT Manufacturing category. The following year, she won the EIT Manufacturing BoostUp! East and was named among the RIS Leaders. She was also included in the Forbes 30 Under 30. 

Ten stories and ten different career paths. And still, they are all connected by one same idea that — the manufacturing sector does not need to look like it used to. These women are the living proof of it and they are just getting started.