In an era where innovation and technology are shaping the future, fostering female leadership in deep-tech has become crucial. As part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services, the EIC Women Leadership Programme is championing women in tech by boosting their skills and building a thriving community. Following her participation in the programme, Julia Müller, chief operating officer (COO) of EIC Pathfinder beneficiary Mediri, sat with the EIC Community team to share her transformative journey.
Read on to learn more about Julia’s journey through the EIC Women Leadership Programme. If you would like to follow her steps, you can apply now to the next cohort (applications open until 9th February!). You can find more information below or in our open call.
As COO of Mediri, a German company with the ambition to offer state-of-the-art medical imaging solutions which help to make the society advance, Julia described the programme as “the perfect fit” for her goals, combining leadership training and a community of like-minded women innovators.
The EIC Women Leadership Programme offers EIC and EIT-backed women researchers and entrepreneurs a robust set of tools and support to enhance their leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The programme aims to inspire, empower, and connect women innovators, equipping them with training, networking events, business coaching, and mentoring opportunities to advance their careers and businesses.
Leading with ambition: Julia’s role in cutting-edge innovation
As COO of Mediri, Julia plays a pivotal role in advancing innovations in medical imaging. Asked about the offer of Mediri, she explained:
Mediri’s services are widespread: On the one hand, we provide medical image data management services for clinical studies. On the other hand, we are participating in several research consortia in the field of medical imaging from ultrasound to MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] and CT [computed tomography].
One of Mediri’s notable projects, EIC Pathfinder beneficiary AEGEUS, involves the development of a combined ultrasound-EEG device to measure deep brain activity:
This is relevant for precisely localising the source of an epileptic seizure. The novel imaging methods and image processing routines we develop in the research projects are a unique selling point for our commercial customers in pharma and biotech.
In this context, Julia’s dual role encompasses planning new research collaborations, overseeing project progress, and connecting with customers to promote these groundbreaking innovations.
Overcoming challenges and finding inspiration
Asked about the challenges she was facing before joining the programme, Julia noted the specific hurdles she felt while balancing her career as a woman in a tech-driven environment and a mother of two young children. “I was missing a role model to give me orientation,” she shares. However, the EIC Women Leadership Programme provided her with much-needed inspiration:
The programme showed me that there are indeed many other women in the same situation, doing a great job.
Among the various trainings offered, one session stood out for Julia:
The training on ‘how to be a great boss’ by Roland Grootenboer was kind of an eye-opener. It is not a secret that your employees need to know your expectations and get your feedback to improve. But the clarity of Roland’s presentation was very helpful and confirmative.
Networking opportunities also proved invaluable. Reflecting on the in-person meeting, she says:
The in-person meeting was one of the best experiences during the training programme. It was energising to get in touch with these women from different industries and countries, but with the same hurdles and passion to overcome them.
Growth and impact
Julia’s participation in the EIC Women Leadership Programme had a profound impact on her self-confidence and leadership approach:
I felt energised by the kick-off meeting, and my self-confidence grew with every training and networking event. I learned how to promote myself and our company’s innovations with more pride and gusto.
Another particularly impactful session was Ruby Veridiano’s training on storytelling and personal branding:
Reframing my limiting beliefs into personal assets and strengths was pushing self-confidence a lot. After the meeting, I phrased my personal mission statement – for the first time in my professional life.
Julia’s journey through the EIC Women Leadership Programme is a testament to the transformative power of tailored leadership development initiatives. Her story highlights how initiatives like this one not only equip participants with critical skills, but also foster a sense of community and shared purpose among women leaders in innovation.
Asked about her advice to fellow women leaders in tech, Julia says:
I definitely recommend to apply to the programme, you can only win!
Apply to the 8th Cohort of the EIC Women Leadership Programme
Building on the success of past editions, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has launched the call for applications to the 8th cohort of the EIC Women Leadership Programme in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). Running from March to June 2025, this cohort is open to women (co-)founders and C-suite leaders of startups at least two years old.
The programme is tailored to advanced entrepreneurs, offering training on leadership and entrepreneurial skills such as negotiation, fundraising, and team development. Participants receive one-on-one mentoring and business coaching, as well as opportunities to expand their networks through online events.
If you would like to boost up your leadership and entrepreneurial skills,
apply until 9 February 2025, EOD!
Want to learn more before applying? Register here to join our online info session on 28 January, 10:00-11:00 CET.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.