Janus and Leitat foster female talent
These two organizations from the BioRegion of Catalonia received awards at the Fem.Talent Forum organized by the Network of Science and Technology Parks of Catalonia.
BY BIOCAT
Janus Developments and the Leitat Technological Center have been recognized for their efforts to promote equal opportunities for women in their organizations at the first Fem.talent Forum, held on 2 December 2011 in Barcelona. The Fem.talent Forum is driven by the Network of Science and Technology Parks of Catalonia (XPCAT) to debate the role of women in the knowledge economy.
The award given to Janus recognizes the company for its balanced Board of Directors, which has four women and four men. Maribel Berges, board member and co-founder of Janus, explains that "proper governing isn’t determined by a company’s size, origin or sector. Fully integrating women in the company’s management and governing bodies only depends on the shareholder’s desire to do so.” According to Berges, it is key for companies to create environments that value talent above gender, and which help workers strike a balance between their professional and family lives, “as this leads to more balanced decision-making, stronger bonds between workers and the company, and better integration of the company and society’s needs.”
Half of the members of the Board of Directors at Janus Developments are women.
Janus was created in 2009 and specializes in transforming biomedical knowledge into economic and social value. It is a member of the Barcelona Science Park (BSP) and has a team of seven workers and a network of more than 40 national and international collaborators and advisors. The company is currently carrying out 11 projects based on patents from universities and research centers. They also collaborate on defining and implementing R&D strategy for institutions, including the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, and provide guidance for biotechnology companies like Archivel Farma, which is developing the Ruti vaccine for latent tuberculosis. The company’s financial partners are Ferrer Internacional, Enantia and CatalunyaCaixa. Janus’s expected 2011 turnover is estimated at €850,000 and their R&D investment is approximately €400,000 euros. The company expects to close a second round of funding in the first quarter of 2012.
Women make up 54% of the staff at Leitat. In 2010, this organization incorporated an equality agent.
Leitat is a technology center that was founded in 1906 and is a member of the Tecnio network and recognized by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The center focuses on collaborations with companies and institutions that provide value added for both products and processes. As a technological partner, their aim is to transform technological challenges into economic and social value. Of the 165 people on staff in 2010, 54% are women according to the Leitat 2011 corporate report. In 2010, the company also incorporated an equality agent.
Vice-President of the Government of Catalonia Joana Ortega, Deputy Mayor for the Barcelona City Council Sònia Recasens, and President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce Miquel Valls attended the inauguration of the Fem-talent Forum.