Work in Progress: Entrepreneurship as a Path to Develop Women Career in Engineering

To female students that finish the Engineering course, entrepreneurship can be an opportunity to overcome barriers and develop their potentials. Entrepreneurship has been a subject of study due to its importance for the social and economic development of a region. This research aims to investigate gender entrepreneurship in technology-based university incubators in the region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as its impacts in the region. The case study was conducted in the company incubated by the IETEC-NI (Technology Business Incubator) of the educational institution CEFET/RJ (Technological Center Celso Suckow da Fonseca - Rio de Janeiro) in Nova Iguacu Campus. As a result, the profile of a female entrepreneur, owner of one company incubated at IETEC-NI, was studied according to the personal and qualitative aspects, focusing on the gender issue, verifying through a case study, the challenges faced by a woman who was able to overcome barriers and undertake in technology and services and to create the incubated company. This study also presents the contribution of the incubated company, a pioneer in the peripheral region of Rio de Janeiro, to innovation and local development.