Women in Soccer: UAS Technikum Wien as a Meeting Place for Leading Voices in the Sport

19 March, 2026
The talk highlighted how closely sports, technology, and society are intertwined in women’s soccer.
On March 17, 2026, the event “Women in Soccer: The Talk” took place for the third time at UAS Technikum Wien. The venue was the university’s Grand Ballroom, which once again provided a space for discussion, visibility, and networking centered on the future of women’s soccer. The evening was organized by zone14, the Vienna-based sports technology company with close ties to UAS Technikum Wien.
The focus was on current developments in women’s soccer, existing structural challenges, and prospects for greater professionalism, visibility, and equal opportunities. Representatives from sports, media, associations, and organizations discussed the conditions needed to sustainably empower women in soccer.
zone14: Modern analysis technologies not just for men’s elite soccer
zone14 develops AI-powered solutions for video analysis in soccer training and aims to make modern analysis technologies accessible not only in elite soccer but also in grassroots and youth soccer. The company is part of the entrepreneurship initiative at UAS Technikum Wien. The connection to the university is also close in terms of personnel: Several founders and contributors to zone14 are graduates or faculty members of UAS Technikum Wien.
UAS Technikum Wien sees itself as a place where innovation, social development, and practice converge and was once again able to provide a platform for this important event in the field of women’s soccer. In addition to others, several representatives from UAS Technikum Wien were present, including Managing Director Horst Rode and Isabel Dregely (Head of Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics).
Lukas Grömer, co-founder of zone14: “Our goal is to make technologies that have long been available primarily in men’s elite soccer accessible to women’s teams as well.”
A central theme of the evening was the structural development of women’s soccer—from infrastructure and training to professionalization.
Jasmin Eder, Women’s Soccer Project Coordinator at the ÖFB and former national team player: “The first step isn’t about spending millions. It’s about creating the right conditions and infrastructure—and highlighting what already exists in women’s soccer.”
The perspective of active players was also discussed—particularly with regard to role models, youth development, and long-term growth opportunities.
Carina Wenninger, a player for Austria Vienna and a 127-time Austrian national team player:
“I believe a major goal is to create structures so that it’s cool for young girls in Austria to become soccer players—and that, ideally, the conditions are such that you can make a living from it.”
Numerous figures from various areas of the sport participated in the third edition of “Women in Soccer: The Talk”:
- Lisa Alzner, former head coach of SKN St. Pölten, was the youngest head coach in the history of the Women’s Bundesliga and has experience at the top international level, including in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
- Jasmin Eder, a former national team player and nine-time champion with SKN St. Pölten, currently serves as Project Coordinator for Women’s Soccer at the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB).
- Michael Erlitz is Director of Women’s Soccer at SK Sturm Graz and advocates for the structural development of women’s soccer.
- Corinna Kuhnle, two-time world and European champion in canoe slalom, heads the Gender Competence in Sport department at 100% Sport.
- Nera Palinic is a reporter at Sky Sport and brings media perspectives on visibility and coverage in sports.
- Nina Potz is the league manager of the Admiral Women’s Bundesliga and focuses on the further development of top-level women’s soccer in Austria.
- Anna Ressmann is the vice-chair of the Women’s Committee of the Vienna Football Association (WFV).
- Nikola Staritz works as a project officer for the fairplay initiative on issues related to diversity, fairness, and participation in sports.
- Sara Telek is a FIFA referee who has officiated in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and at European Championships.
- Carina Wenninger, a player for Austria Vienna, has 127 caps for the Austrian national team and holds the record for the most appearances by a female player for FC Bayern Munich.
The event once again highlighted how important the collaboration between sports, education, technology, and media is for the further development of women’s soccer. The partnership between zone14 and UAS Technikum Wien demonstrates how innovation, entrepreneurship, and socially relevant topics can be brought together at a university.
Print-ready images of the event, available here in the cloud folder.
Copyright: UAS Technikum Wien
About UAS Technikum Wien
UAS Technikum Wien is Austria’s university of applied sciences for technology and digitalization. Since its founding in 1994, it has produced approximately 19,000 graduates. Currently, more than 4,700 students—including over 1,000 women—are being trained in 30 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs to become top-tier professionals for the business world. The programs are offered as day or evening courses. The curriculum is scientifically grounded yet practical. In addition to high-quality technical training, great emphasis is placed on business and personal development courses. Excellent contacts and collaborations with business and industry open up the best career opportunities for students and graduates. In both teaching and research, the integration of theory and practice is a top priority.
UAS Technikum Wien is a network partner of the FEEI (Professional Association of the Electrical and Electronics Industry) and a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities.
Photos of UAS Technikum Wien:
https://cloud.technikum-wien.at/s/WdHJJsCS7MWo5Df
Further Information:
Video analysis for soccer clubs: Start-up zone14 as part of UAS Technikum Wien’s entrepreneurship initiative
New partnership between zone14 and SK Rapid Vienna: AI-powered video analysis in soccer training
Women in soccer: Prominent guests at the zone14 panel discussion (2024)
Second women’s soccer talk at UAS Technikum Wien (2025)
Picture Gallery:
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