Bielsko-Biała is located in southern Poland in the Silesia Voivodeship and building its reputation as a regional tech hub notably through HerStory in IT initiative. The initiative emerged from the TechDiversity URBACT Action Planning network, funded under URBACT IV, and is led by the Regional Development Agency (RDA) in partnership with the newly established IT in the Mountains Association, founded in November 2024.
It brings together a diverse coalition of stakeholders including the RDA serving as project coordinator, city administration with strong support from the mayor, local IT companies representing 15 association members, the academic sector through four cooperation agreements with universities, and various business support organisations. All these actors participate through the URBACT Local Group framework, targeting women seeking to enter or advance in the IT sector while engaging the broader tech ecosystem to promote gender diversity and inclusion.