Girls! TECH UP Experience Day Delights Over 300 Female Pupils
- 19.03.2026
- General
The Girls! TECH UP Day was a huge hit with the female attendees.
Trying out technology instead of just talking about it: At the Girls! TECH UP Experience Day at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, high school students explored new technologies, met role models from the industry, and learned about technical fields of study.
More than 300 visitors attended the Girls! TECH UP Experience Day at the Kufstein University of Applied Sciences in Tyrol at the end of February. Middle and high school students took the opportunity to learn about innovative technologies and try them out for themselves. Following last year’s event, this was the second time the event was held on the Kufstein campus.
The focus was on hands-on stations where technology came to life: Among other things, participants were able to control a high-tech robotic hand, take a virtual tour of a power plant, or install electrical outlets themselves. At the same time, the event offered an opportunity to meet women who are already successfully working in technical fields.
Various stations invited visitors to try out the equipment, and the visitors clearly had a great time.
“We are proud to be hosting the Girls! TECH UP Experience Day for the second time at the Kufstein University of Applied Sciences,” emphasized Vice Rector Claudia van der Vorst in her opening remarks. The goal is to show female students that technology is versatile, creative, and exciting. “If we can help inspire some of the participants to pursue a technical career or a related degree later on, that’s a huge success.”
FEMALE ROLE MODELS IN TECHNOLOGY
A highlight of the program was the presentation by Christina Unterweißacher, a network planner at Salzburg Netz GmbH and winner of the Girls! TECH UP Role Model Award 2025. She encouraged the students to pursue careers in technology: “With courage, perseverance, and curiosity, you can achieve a great deal.”
With courage, perseverance, and curiosity, you can achieve a great deal.
Christina Unterweißacher
Network Planner, Salzburg Netz GmbH
In addition to personal insights from role models, the event offered numerous opportunities to interact with companies and educational institutions. The goal is to spark girls’ interest in technical careers at an early age and to show them career prospects in an industry where women are still underrepresented.
EXPERIENCE TECHNOLOGY
The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol also showcased its technical degree programs. Visitors could explore various stations and gain insights into programs such as Drone Engineering & AI-Based Innovation, Energy & Sustainability Management, Coding & Digital Design, and Industrial Engineering & Management.
The participants were able to get a sense of just how diverse technical training and degree programs are today - ranging from robotics and digitalization to sustainable energy systems.
BROAD SUPPORT FROM THE BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SECTORS
The Girls! TECH UP Experience Day is an initiative of the OVE - Austrian Association for Electrical Engineering - and was organized in Kufstein in cooperation with the Standortagentur Tirol and the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol.
The event was supported by numerous corporate partners, including INNIO Jenbacher, MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GmbH, Salzburg AG, Stihl Tirol, and TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft AG. Together with other partners from the education and business sectors, they provided the students with a practical insight into technical career fields.
With interactive stations, personal encounters, and numerous eye-opening moments, the day vividly demonstrated just how exciting and diverse technology can be—and how many opportunities it opens up for young women.
