Paola Belingheri has been an active member of Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-Europe) since 2010, contributing significantly in various leadership roles. First she joined the Leiden local group, where she participated in activities and events, creating stronger links between the association and young professionals in ESA. In 2013 She co-founded the WIA-Europe Regional Network in Rome, where she served as part of the management team for several years

In her first role on the Board as Director of Individual Membership, Paola was instrumental in building a community of over 500 individual members across Europe over a five-year period. After serving in this role for two terms, she was appointed Director of Research. In this role, Paola focused on identifying best practices for diversity and inclusion within the European space sector, also drawing on her professional research on Gender Equality through Data Intelligence, aiming to promote gender equality through data-driven insights. In the past year, together with a team of co-authors from different WIA-E White Paper Working Groups, she has developed a vision for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the New Space Economy, advocating for the implementation of EDI to address systemic workforce issues in the space sector. This is summarised in a book chapter, forthcoming in the Oxford Handbook on the New Space Economy, that proposes to achieve systemic change through collaborations between academia, institutions, industry as well as the wider space community, media, and influencers, as key actors in fostering a more diverse and inclusive industryThrough her various roles, Paola has made significant contributions to promoting diversity, inclusion, and professional development within the European aerospace community.

She remains a member of our association and will continue to support us in the years to come.