BPW EUROPE NETWORKS

The Nordic Network

The Nordic Network, established on May 27, 2024, under the initiative of Regional Coordinator Anu Viks, unites countries from Northern Europe, including Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The Network aims to promote the interests of business and professional women within these countries through collaboration and shared initiatives.

The Nordic Network was officially launched during an online meeting of Presidents from these countries. The primary goal, defined at its inception, is to support and advance the interests of women in business and the professions across the region. Members include BPW Federations and associated Clubs in each participating country.

Key areas of focus

  • Developing entrepreneurial and leadership skills.
  • Supporting women amidst political conflicts.
  • Advocating for a green and sustainable world.
  • Attracting and retaining new members.
  • Promoting technical education and lifelong learning.
  • Securing financing and driving impactful projects.

Meetings

The Nordic Network holds face-to-face (F2F) meetings every two years, fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas.

  • 2024: The inaugural F2F meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland.
  • 2026: The next meeting is planned for Poland.

Presidents of Nordic Network countries

  • Finland: Anne Gustafson-Pesonen
  • Sweden: Åsa Krug
  • Norway: Anna Halvorsen (BPW Follo Club)
  • Iceland: Johanna Thomasdottir (BPW Reykjavik Club)
  • Estonia: Merle Saviauk
  • Latvia: Inga Pumpure (BPW Riga Club)
  • Lithuania: Irma Spudiene (BPW Vilnius Chamber Club)
  • Poland: Katarzyna (BPW Poznan Club)
  • Regional Coordinator: Anu Viks (Estonia)

Inaugural meeting in Finland

The first F2F meeting took place on September 27–28, 2024, in Helsinki, Finland. Hosted by BPW Finland, the event was held at the Antti and Jenny Wihuri Foundation venue. The meeting officially launched the Nordic Network and kickstarted the “Green Ambassadors” project under the Green and Sustainable Working Group, chaired by Siiri Puttonen.

 Seminar Highlights:

  • Keynote: Scientist Kai Klein (BPW Estonia) discussed the environmental impact of plastics.
  • Focus on Sustainable Businesses:
    • Insights into green entrepreneurship in Estonia and Finland.
    • Professor Taina Tukiainen (Vaasa University) introduced the environmentally sustainable hotel initiative in Eastern Finland.

BPW Estonia also presented an entrepreneurship project encouraging women to establish and grow green businesses, reinforcing the Network’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

BPW AdrionNet: the BPW Adriatic–Ionian Networking Platform

A Regional Network Uniting Business & Professional Women Across the Adriatic–Ionian Region and Beyond

Members – BPW Federations and Clubs:

  • BPW Croatia
  • BPW Greece
  • BPW Italy
  • BPW Albania
  • BPW Slovenia
  • BPW Moldova
  • BPW Romania

The BPW AdrionNet unites BPW federations and associated clubs across the Adriatic–Ionian region — and welcomes broader cooperation beyond the geographical boundaries.

Leadership

  • Chair: Dr. Giuseppina Seidita
  • Past Chair: Dr. Alida Perkov

Objectives

  • To build and strengthen mutual relations among business and professional women in the region.
  • To promote intercultural exchange programs among members.
  • To create conditions for the successful exchange of experiences and facilitate access to EU programs.
  • To raise awareness of BPW regional cooperation.
  • To encourage bilateral and multilateral business and cultural engagements.

Areas of Action

BPW AdrionNet is committed to promoting:

  • Business and professional lobbying
  • The visibility of women entrepreneurs’ products and services
  • Inter-regional cultural promotion
  • Business and ICT capacity-building workshops
  • Collaboration with Adriatic–Ionian regional initiatives
  • Active participation in EU-funded projects

Core Activities

  • Thematic forums combined with business matchmaking
  • Self-financing through sponsorships
  • Engagement with economic and political actors (e.g., Chambers of Commerce)
  • Collaboration with regional and local institutions
  • Support for the creation of new BPW clubs within the AdrionNet framework
  • Development and execution of joint regional projects

Milestones & History

2005 Creation of the BPW DanubeNet regional network: www.bpw-danubenet.org
2016 Official recognition of BPW AdrionNet as a BPW Europe Project at the European Congress in Zurich
2017

  • Presented in Bagheria, Italy (March 30)
  • Presented in Pula, Croatia (June 1)
  • Official launch in Bari, Italy (September 27)
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between BPW DanubeNet and
  • BPW AdrionNet in Vienna (November 17)

2018 Forum held in Athens, Greece
2019 Forum at the University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy
2020 Hybrid Forum in Pula, Croatia
2021 Hybrid Forum in Palermo, Sicily
2022–2024 Virtual meetings and awareness campaigns to expand network membership
2025 Network expanded to include:

  • BPW Tirana – Albania
  • BPW Celje – Slovenia
  • BPW Chișinău – Moldova
  • BPW Arad – Romania

Join the Momentum

BPW AdrionNet continues to foster solidarity, knowledge exchange, and leadership among women across the region. For further information or to get involved, please contact the AdrionNet Chair via the BPW Europe Secretariat.

AdrionNet Report 2021 BPW-AdrionNet-Report-2021-and-strategy.pdf
AdrionNet Memorandum BPW-ADRIONNET_memorandum.pdf
Constitutional frame Constitutional-frame-of-BPW-AdrionNet.pdf

Adrionnet 2021

BPW DACH Deutschland-Schweiz-Österreich

BPW DACH Conference: Fostering Connections and Diversity in Ulm

The BPW DACH Conference, hosted by BPW Germany Club Ulm, celebrated a successful gathering of the German-speaking BPW community. With the theme “Through Trust We Build Connections, Hence Creating Diversity,” the event brought together over 100 participants from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and—for the first time—Liechtenstein, to forge and strengthen ties within the BPW network.

The conference’s program featured diverse and engaging workshops on topics such as:

  • Stress Management
  • AI Prompting
  • Communication and Microaggression
  • Small Talk and Leadership
  • Feminist Foreign Policy

These sessions provided attendees with practical skills and ample opportunities for networking, fostering both new relationships and deeper connections within the BPW community.

A poignant moment of the event was the BPW Candle Lighting Ceremony, that highlighted the shared goals and achievements of BPW members across more than 100 countries, celebrating their collective commitment to empowerment and progress.

The Ulm conference was an undeniable success, setting the stage for the next DACH Conference, which will take place in Austria. With the momentum built in Ulm, the future of BPW in German-speaking countries promises continued growth, collaboration, and impact.

For more details, visit the official DACH Conference website: bpw.dach-tagung.eu

The network for businesswomen in the German-speaking Region

The DACH region hosts a regional German-speaking gathering every 2nd year. The aim is to foster the business network and bring women from that economic region together. The host location is rotating between Austria, Germany and Switzerland for every 2nd year.

Most recent event was hosted by Switzerland: https://bpw.ch/de/Veranstaltungen/Details?id=564&date=1663884000

BPW Danube Net

The network for businesswomen in the Danube Region

Foundation of the BPW Danube Net in 2006 in Budapest!
Since 2006 the BPW Danube Net is the network for business women in the Danube region with strong connection to BPW AdrioNet, BPW Italy and BPW Turkey. The objective is to bring together the decision makers of this region to exchange know-how and best practices and to introduce to the members and participants business network and learning opportunities. Since 2015 BPW Danube Net is member of the EUSDR PA8 steering group.

Read more about our partnership and woman in digital economy.

Aims

  • Contribution to the economic development of the Danube Region
  • A platform for open up new business opportunities and cooperation
  • Sharing professional expertise and experiences
  • Intercultural exchanges
  • Increasing awareness of BPW

Strong Women in Digitalization – Focus Danube Region

Digital transformation is reshaping the world around us and women are key contributors to this change. Across industries, social sectors, and politics, women bring innovation, leadership, and expertise to help shape a more inclusive digital future.

To make these contributions visible, three women’s networks — Business and Professional Women (BPW) in the Danube Region, webgrrls.de, and haecksen.org — have joined forces in the project “Strong Women in Digitalization – Focus Danube Region.”

What the project is about

The initiative highlights the stories of women actively involved in digitization through a powerful series of video interviews. The interviews feature inspiring women from Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, who share how they contribute to digital progress in their respective fields whether in companies, civic life, public service, or technological activism.

These voices reflect a wide range of perspectives and roles, offering insight into how women are helping to build digital ecosystems that are not only advanced, but equitable and human-centered.

Watch the stories

We invite you to discover these authentic and motivating stories.
Visit the BPW Germany Club Stuttgart e.V. YouTube channel to watch the full video series: BPW Germany Club Stuttgart – YouTube.

Project Support

The project “Strong Women in Digitalization – Focus Danube Region” was proudly supported and funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation.

Together, we continue to foster digital inclusion, leadership, and cooperation across the Danube Region with women at the center of innovation.

BPW Danube Net Business Women Forums 2006 – 2019

Learn how we helped 100 top brands gain success

Learn how we helped 100 top brands gain success