Inclusive Chips Forum Bratislava: Bridging Education and Industry for Diverse Talent

Jana Drbohlavová

Deputy Director and Project Coordinator, Czech Semiconductor Centre

Jana Drbohlavová is Deputy Director and Project Coordinator of the Czech Semiconductor Centre, where she supports the development of the Czech semiconductor ecosystem and strengthens cooperation between research, industry and public institutions. She also represents the South Moravian Region in the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance and promotes technical education, particularly in microelectronics. She holds a degree in Physical Chemistry from Brno University of Technology and a PhD from Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1. From 2017 to 2023, she served as a Seconded National Expert at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, focusing on safe and sustainable materials and contributing to the preparation of the European Chips Act.

Viktória Vöröšová 

Slovak Semiconductor Centre

Bio

Kartikey Srivastava

EU Projects Manager at SEMI Europe

Kartikey Srivastava is EU Projects Manager at SEMI Europe, where he coordinates the European Chips Diversity Alliance, an Erasmus+ project supporting skills and inclusion across Europe's semiconductor ecosystem. He has worked on a range of Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe initiatives in the semiconductor sector, focusing on project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications. Kartikey works with partners from industry, academia, research organisations, and public authorities across Europe to deliver collaborative projects with long-term impact. He holds an MBA from ESMT Berlin and a Master's degree in International Political Economy from King's College London.

Veronika Pizano

Director of Organizational Processes at Aj Ty v IT

Veronika Pizano is the Director of Organizational Processes at Aj Ty v IT, a non-profit organization focused on encouraging and supporting girls and women in pursuing education and careers in technology. In her role, she leads the project management and coordination team, helping to drive the organization’s programs and strategic initiatives. With a background in marketing and communications, Veronika began her career in the media sector before joining Aj Ty v IT in 2018. Since then, she has dedicated her work to advancing digital skills, promoting diversity in technology, and creating opportunities for women to thrive in the tech industry.

Catherine MacGillivray-Prantl 

Global Head of Talent Management & Culture at Comet

Catherine MacGillivray-Prantl is Global Head of Talent Management & Culture at Comet. With more than 25 years of international HR experience across Europe and Asia, she is passionate about creating workplaces where people from different backgrounds can thrive and contribute to innovation. At Comet, Catherine works to embed inclusion into the employee experience – from attracting and developing diverse talent to fostering leadership behaviours that enable collaboration, belonging and high performance. She believes that DEI is a business imperative that strengthens innovation, resilience and long-term competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.  Catherine is also an ICF-certified executive coach and contributed to the European Chips Diversity Alliance (ECDA) DEI Training Suite by developing the learning module Pathways to Innovation: Diverse Careers in Semiconductor R&D and Software.

Vanda Hudáková  

Talent Manager at the Slovak Semiconductor Centre

Vanda is a Talent Manager at the Slovak Semiconductor Centre, where she leverages nine years of experience in education to support the next generation of talent. She specializes in identifying students’ potential and connecting them with opportunities such as summer schools, industry internships, and academic competitions. Passionate about inspiring young people, Vanda helps raise awareness of the semiconductor industry and its impact on the technologies shaping our future. Her mission is to open doors for emerging talent, guide their development, and encourage them to pursue rewarding careers in the semiconductor sector.

Ľuboš Tibenský 

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Bio

Dominik Župan

Graz University of Technology

Bio