Edinburgh Napier University has partnered with Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES) to support more women getting into the business world.

In their new collaboration, called SDG5 Living, women looking to start a business or further their careers can find tailored training, resources, and networking.

The programme draw support from not only the university, but from WES Chair and entrepreneur in residence Lynne Cadenhead, who has expertise and experience as an entrepreneur, and is still the acting CEO of her third startup company, Immaculate Drinks.

Set up to advance the number of women in business, the initiative was designed to advance the fifth sustainability development goal set in 2015 by the United Nations, which is gender equality.

This wide-reaching goals sets out to end all forms of discrimination against women, ensuring that women have equal rights to leadership and resources.

In Scotland, women-led businesses already contribute £8.8bn to the economy every year, there is risk this progress could halt.

The number of women-led firms decreased from 20.6% in 2017 to just 14% in 2019. Now, just nine women-led scale-ups exist in the nation today.

“As an Edinburgh Napier graduate, and now a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, I’m thrilled to bridge academia and industry, fostering a culture of innovation that empowers women in business,” Cadenhead said.

“The power of education and entrepreneurship will be pivotal in reshaping the narrative for gender equality.

“The SDG5 Living Lab embodies our commitment to driving tangible change for women, by combining research and innovation.

“The training delivered by Women’s Enterprise Scotland is informed by over a decade of research, which means that recipients benefit from world class expertise in the field of women’s entrepreneurship.”

Napier’s enterprise hub, Bright Red Triangle, will play host to the first sessions held later this month, with the first course aiming to develop skills around business creation and leadership.

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Nick Fannin, head of enterprise at Bright Red Triangle, said: “The establishment of the SDG5 Living Lab marks a significant milestone in our commitment to gender equality and societal impact.

“This collaboration allows us to harness the collective expertise of Edinburgh Napier University and Women’s Enterprise Scotland to drive meaningful change.

“Our vision is to cultivate an environment conducive to entrepreneurial success among women, nurturing the next generation of women leaders and innovators.“