Women & Technologies®: e-Health (2011)

IV edition
International Conference
Women &

Bio and Nanotech Tecnologie ^® : e-Health and "The Technovisionary" Award ^® " 2011

With the participation of the President of the Republic

The fourth edition of the International Conference "Women&Technologies" ^® "and the International Prize "The Technovisionaries" ^® "2011 confirmed itself as a prominent and successful event in the international scientific landscape. Since 2008, it has proposed a new vision of the relationship between women and technologies, addressing it not as a gender issue but as a tool to enhance female talent in research, technological development, and innovation, with particular attention to the themes of interest of Expo 2015. The 2011 edition, after the previous ones dedicated to the ICT sector, focused on Research and Innovation in the Health field, with a special emphasis on technologies applied both to early disease diagnosis and to the treatment of even rare pathologies. A significant section of the conference was dedicated to the role of women in health research and technology professions. Thus Gianna Martinengo, creator and chairperson of Women & Technologies." Donne & Tecnologie ^® 2008-2015” ^® , explains the challenge at the heart of the initiative: " Our goal this year, as in previous years, was to demonstrate the excellence of female contribution in high-tech activities. Despite this evidence, there is still a prejudice that scientific research and technologies are male competences; this prevents the country from fully utilizing the talents and abilities of both genders for its development. With Women&Technologies we increase everyone's awareness of the potential, creativity, quantity, and quality of female contribution in the fields of research and innovation". ^®

Contributions, Collaborations, and Partners
The strong and motivated involvement of partners consisting of a dense number of organizations, companies, and institutions, together with the endorsements and institutional presences have highlighted the importance of the initiative and the need to continue on the path of identifying and enhancing "themes" and "people" aimed at the growth and development of the country.
The conference received the endorsement of the President of the Republic and was sponsored by the Women and Technology Association, in partnership with the National Museum of Science and Technology "Leonardo da Vinci", which hosted the event. It was made possible with the contribution of the Milan Chamber of Commerce. Intesa Sanpaolo, Farmindustria, Assolombarda, Gruppo Multimedica, Diagramma, TT factor, Areta International, SEA airports of Milan, ATM, participated as partners. The event was organized by Didael KTS, with Radio 24 as a media partner. Credit Suisse, Grafica Metelliana, ITG, Sevengrams, and Moët Hennessy Italia also contributed to the realization of the Conference and the final Gala Dinner.
The 2011 edition received institutional endorsements from the Minister of Youth, the Minister for Public Administration and Innovation, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Department for Equal Opportunities, the Lombardy Region, and the Province of Milan - Equal Opportunities.
The initiative was awarded the medal that President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano wanted to dedicate as his official award.

Personalities from the scientific, academic, political, and institutional world participated in the conference and award ceremony of the "Le Tecnovisionarie" 2011 Prize: women but also men who have strengthened the presence and impact of women.
The fourth edition of Women&Technologies, under the guidance of Gianna Martinengo, who has made the relationship between technologies and innovation one of the main themes of her professional life as a researcher and entrepreneur, saw the involvement of 13 members of the Strategic Committee , 17 members of the Program Committee , 21 qualified Speakers , 2 individuals for institutional greetings and, finally, an organizing committee that benefited from the passionate contribution of 50 women and men associated and friends of the Women and Technologies Association.

The Conference
The day started with greetings from the Director General of the National Museum of Science and Technology "Leonardo da Vinci" Fiorenzo Galli and the President of the Strategic Committee of Women&Technologies Donne & Tecnologie ^® : The Protagonists ^{® ®} 8 members of the Jury of the "Techno Visionary Award" ^® " 2011 ^® Sergio Dompé . After the opening speech by Gianna Martinengo , the first two round tables coordinated respectively by Daniela Bellomo , General Manager of TT Factor and Maria Luisa Nolli , CEO of Areta International. To coordinate the afternoon round table, Alessandra Perrazzelli , Head of International Regulatory and Antitrust Affairs Office, Intesa Sanpaolo, intervened.
Greetings were also received from Giorgia Meloni , Minister of Youth and from Roberto Formigoni , President of the Lombardy Region.

The 3 Round Tables of the Conference
The topics discussed in the 3 round tables, in addition to the high scientific rigor , were also valuable from a informative and guidance perspective for the numerous participants not involved in the field and young people present in the room.
The discussion around the first round table "New frontiers for diagnosis and therapy: biomarkers, imaging and robotics" focused on the evolution of the biotech industry, which has seen significant growth at a national and international level bringing innovative drugs to the market. The results of biotech innovation are already available to patients, but are still not widely known. With the second round table "Rare and neglected diseases" the presence was highlighted, within the new drugs that are revolutionizing the world of medicine, of a very innovative niche of biopharmaceuticals that are medicines for selected patients and for the treatment of conditions not curable with traditional drugs. The last round table "The value of Women" addressed the need to build in Italy, as is already happening in other countries, a bridge between research and finance to create companies and support the development of new drugs, generating wealth and "qualified" jobs at the same time. The discussion focused in particular on the model of university spin-offs, very successful in the USA and highly appealing to venture capitalists in other countries, but greatly undervalued in Italy.

The permanent laboratory: towards the 2012 Edition
The 2012 edition will represent the opening conference of the three-year period dedicated to food, a theme strongly related to health, sustainability, and innovation. The Conference's approach involves a debate on the application of science and technology in favor of conscious eating, with particular attention to the female figure, always linked to the theme of nutrition. The goal is to provide a complete and user-friendly view for the end consumer of the new frontiers in food connected to prevention, the development of sustainable agriculture, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector that represent excellence to be protected, as well as the most innovative proposals from research on packaging, information transparency, and eco-friendly technologies.

The interesting and innovative aspect of the Women&Technologies approach ^® The development of the theme is entrusted, fueled, stimulated by the creative, physical, and virtual Laboratory on the Conference themes. It is an open laboratory all year round that has as its reference point the portal www.womentech.info and the network of professionals, experts or simple enthusiasts of the topics under discussion who are involved through dedicated groups on both the blog and the main social networks. The Laboratory is also fueled by initiatives organized within the events that prepare the Women & Technologies Conference (2008-2015). Therefore, starting from today and throughout the year, it will be possible to monitor and be part of the development of the main theme for. The portal will continue to be active and will become the focal point of an open discussion on the conference themes, collecting and disseminating contributions from all interested parties; in this way, it will constitute an important element of continuity in view of the new "edition 2012" of Women & Technologies. ^® contribute to the birth of the 2012 edition of Women&Technologies ^{® ®}

Multimedia Acts

Photo Service
A photo service was carried out, with the prior authorization of the Conference Protagonists, and was published on the conference portal.
The photo gallery can be viewed at this address:
http://www.womentech.eu/index.php/womentech-2011/gallery-womenatechnologies-2011.html

Video Production
The following video clips were produced for the conference:

• Conference Promo
  30-second promo airing in the 2 weeks leading up to the conference about the Telesia circuit of the Milan Metropolitan and on ATM buses and trams
  http://www.womentech.eu/index.php/ultime-notizie-1/womenatechnologiesr-spot-edizione-2011.html
• 1 Video clip that traces the history of Women & Technologies ^® from 2008 to date
  http://www.womentech.eu/index.php/ultime-notizie-1/womenatechnologiesr-dal-2008-al-2011.html
• 42 video clips containing all the interventions from the Women & Technologies Conference ^® 2011
  http://www.womentech.eu/index.php/tutti-gli-interventi-2011/womenatechnologies-2011-tutti-gli-interventi.html

Radio spot production
Radio24 (Sole 24 Ore Group) has produced and aired a 30'' spot in the programming of the 2 weeks leading up to the conference.
http://www.womentech.eu/index.php/ultime-notizie-1/al-via-la-promozione-della-conferenza-womenatechnologies-su-radio24.html