Una Fitzpatrick stated that Ireland’s technology space has to face the stark reality that there are too few women in positions of senior leadership.

Speaking at a graduation event for the NOVA Women in Tech Leadership Programme, Una Fitzpatrick, the director of Technology Ireland at Ibec, warned that Ireland has more to do in closing Europe’s biggest gender gap in advanced digital skills.

NOVA was created by Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet in partnership with Connecting Women in Technology in order to address the issue of too few women in senior roles, as well as the challenges of too few women equipped with the judgement to lead through AI-driven change.

Fitzpatrick said: “We must be candid about why a bespoke pathway like NOVA is essential. We operate in an era of rapid technological transformation, yet structural imbalances remain stark. 

“Recent research from the Economic and Social Research Institute revealed a sobering truth – Ireland has Europe’s largest gender gap in advanced digital skills used at work. While 44pc of men in Ireland utilise advanced digital skills in their daily jobs, only 18pc of women do. This 26-percentage-point gap is nearly double the European average.”

Fitzpatrick, who was recently appointed vice-president of Digital Europe, the body that represents Europe’s leading industrial and technology organisations, explained that the sector is suffering from a ‘leaky pipeline’. While entry-level numbers in tech are promising, women hold only 14pc of senior technical and engineering roles, and only an estimated 5pc of top executive leadership positions. 

“This is precisely why NOVA was built. It is not just an educational programme, it is a direct, strategic intervention designed to shatter that 5pc ceiling,” said Fitzpatrick. 

Tracey Donnery, the director of policy and communications at Skillnet Ireland, said: “Building a strong pipeline of diverse leadership talent is essential to Ireland’s future competitiveness. Programmes such as NOVA demonstrate how industry-led collaboration can equip professionals with the skills, confidence and networks needed to lead through change.”

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