In the year of 2026 there have been given a higher number of internships to female students than ever before at BEST. This is meaning to inspire young women to go into the STEM-sector. The COMET-center therefore supports a new generation of women to start a career in science.

During an internship the women gather a deep insight into the academic research and development. Furthermore, they can gain hands-on work experience, in an environment in which working independently is encouraged and an understanding for their career start and further progress in their career. Additionally, the internship provides an important networking opportunity, during which they are able to connect with peers and experts alike and can share their knowledge and experience.

The internships for female students are administered by the FFG Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH. The project is supported by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Innovation, Mobilität und Infrastruktur).

A report of the AIT shows that women only make up 24 percent of the workforce in the energy research Austrias – a number which only gets smaller, the further the career advances. Not only are women less likely to be represented in research, according to Worldmetrics they also are 15 percent more likely to leave the STEM-sector due to family responsibilities than men. In the last 17 years, to counter those statistics, more than 85 percent of the internships here at BEST have been given to female students. Additionally, there have been multiple other projects to ensure gender equality – for example the shortly completed project “BioDiversity” and the development of an internal “Gender Equality Plan”. BEST is fully aware of its role in making applied research as attractive as possible for women, thereby increasing diversity in the field of research.

To achieve this, BEST is committed to a clear strategy that provides women with not only entry role opportunities but also pathways for advancement. The goal is to foster female role models who can, in turn, inspire young girls to pursue careers in the natural sciences.

2026-08-19