As part of the Mindtech fair, the Tecnolóxicas Forum has established itself as one of the key conferences.
In its 2025 and 2023 editions, it demonstrated that industry also has a female presence. Every year, this forum brings together leading women from the industrial and technological sector, who discussed advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, defence, sustainability and innovation, but also addressed the need to generate new vocations at an early age, especially among girls, to encourage the participation of women in these still male-dominated sectors.
Coinciding with International Women’s Day on 8 March, we have compiled some key data and notable messages from the women leaders in the sector at recent editions of the Tecnolóxicas Forum.
Alarming data
- Only 24.6% of the industrial sector is represented by women.
- The lack of women in the technology sector will cost the European Union €820 million by 2050.
- Less than 20% of women hold management positions in technology companies.
- STEM degrees have an employment rate of over 92% in the first two years after graduation, as well as faster and more stable access to employment. However, this high employability does not yet translate into a balanced presence of women in industry and technology, especially in technical positions of responsibility and leadership.
Reflections from Tecnolóxicas women
Below, we highlight some of the key reflections made by speakers who have participated in the Tecnolóxicas Forum in recent years, where they discussed the major technical and technological advances in the sector, as well as the challenges we face in the fight for equality and the integration of women in industry.
Martina Oanes, Commercial Director of Channel Partners at Siemens, explained: “In recent years, we have been witnessing the arrival of new tools such as the Digital Twin, the Industrial Metaverse and generative Artificial Intelligence. Thanks to these tools and data analysis, operational efficiency, product customisation and sustainability can be improved. In fact, the amount of data generated in a typical month in a factory is approximately 2,200 terabytes, which is equivalent to the data volume of 500,000 films on an online streaming platform.”
Regarding the role of women, she added that ‘in addition to the non-negotiable commitment to technology, digital transformation must be increasingly inclusive of female talent. At Siemens, we introduce our technologies to girls from a very early age through various projects that encourage them to study STEM careers.’
María López-Chaves, Engineer in Secure Digital Infrastructure at Indra, discussed the future European air combat system, FCAS, and how it is helping to position Spain at the forefront of the defence industry: “As a young industrial engineer working for a leading technology and defence company, being able to participate in Mindtech’s Tecnolóxicas Forum is a real opportunity. It offers visibility to women working in the industrial sector and shows that we are already present in cutting-edge positions, with the ambition to continue advancing and taking on new challenges.
Silvia Muriel, Country Finance Manager at ABB Spain, gave an overview of the importance of equality in the technology industry: ‘Diversity and inclusion in our company have increased our profitability. These are levers that must be supported, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is a sure value.’
Eva Laín, Founder and CEO of Lain Tech, explained the revolutionary E-LIX technology patented by this young engineer, which allows for the extraction of polymetallic minerals (containing copper, zinc, lead, and silver) in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way, opening up an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable mining in the geological belt stretching from southern Portugal to Seville.
For her part, Doris Gomes, Director of Cloud Adoption and Innovation at Microsoft Spain, outlined the challenges of artificial intelligence for industry: “If organisations do not embark on a process of continuous innovation, they will not be able to meet the challenges of the current landscape. All companies must be driven by AI, not only by collecting data, but especially by giving it value, which is what generative AI is showing us more tangibly than ever before.”
María Jesús Vázquez, Head of Planning and Digitalisation for Operations, Network and IT at Telefónica, highlighted 5G networks and telecommunications as the essential enabler for a truly interconnected industry and society. ‘5G allows us to focus on very low latency and high reliability, such as the Internet of Things, assisted driving, industrial robots and remote surgery, but these networks must be automatic, flexible and programmable, and we must continue working on their expansion, because the reality is that we are already working on 6G to enable virtual reality in all contexts.’
Virginia Toural, Partner – Hybrid Cloud Transformation Leader, IBM Consulting Spain, Greece & Israel, offered a comprehensive overview of the gender inequality that still prevails in the industrial and technology sector. “Since 2019, the pool of women for leadership positions has shrunk, so we need to change our strategy. We are facing challenges that cannot be addressed without incorporating female talent, because Europe is short of 1 million technology professionals to tackle the current challenges in sustainability, generative AI, digital products, user experience, the metaverse, value chain restructuring, demographic changes and skills shortages.”