Inclusion and Innovation Are Digital Duo Powering Future Tech Success

Tuesday 24 June 2025

By Lorraine Acheson, Managing Director of Women in Business and Deputy CEO of The WiB Group. Featured in the Sync NI Magazine 2025 | From Code to Leadership: Celebrating Women in Tech.

Poised on the cutting-edge of digital technology, Northern Ireland has much to look forward to.

A high concentration of global tech powerhouses and early-stage companies, combined with a talented and thriving workforce, have cemented NI’s status as a focal point for industry innovation. Last year alone, more than 1,800 new technology businesses were launched on these shores. According to Instant Offices research, that puts NI in 4th place among the top UK tech hotspots. Perhaps what’s more impressive is that that figure represents a year-on-year growth of 86%, buoyed by a sector that refuses to stand still.

Driven mostly by young entrepreneurs, these tech founders are fuelling growth and innovation right across the industry. Nevertheless, these figures come with a familiar and frustrating footnote: of the 1,818 tech companies launched, a mere 155 were founded by women. Which represents only 9% in a sector that has long been shackled by gender inequality in that the balance of opportunities, access to finance, mentors, and general career progression have for too long been titled away from women.

Such a disparity only serves to reinforce the importance of events like Northern Ireland’s annual Women in Tech Awards. A night where we showcase those best-in-class individuals working day in, day out to create a more inclusive and forward-thinking industry. Opening doors so others may follow.

This being the fourth ceremony, at Women in Business we were thrilled to see a record number of entries for 2025. And it’s not just the calibre, but the variety of applications that continues to impress.

In today’s digital age, technology is central to all business activity, and every year we’re seeing more women excelling in tech roles within non-tech organisations. Case in point: our C Level Woman of the Year is from law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

Then there’s the entrepreneurs, which is always an exciting awards category filled with blue-sky ingenuity. Choosing a winner from a field of fantastic finalists was a real challenge for our judges, however it was heartening to see women business owners represented across other categories, too, including finalists within the Green Impact Award and Digital Transformation Leader.

It's a testament to the breadth of opportunities made available by the tech industry, while for Women in Business it is our privilege to champion those women who embody the positive impact of the sector locally at every level, from apprentice to C-suite.

Speaking of future talent, the raw potential simmering within this year’s One to Watch category was simply incredible. Together they represent the pipeline of future women leaders, and it is critical that we don’t lose these women from the industry as they progress.

Apprenticeships, too, are another vital entry point while the crucial role of academic organisations in rewriting the sector’s gender imbalance cannot be overstated. What we need is an environment conducive to focused digital learning to ultimately bridge age-old gaps between young women and their digital capabilities. To pierce persistent gender norms through collaborative networking, mentoring and the elevation of industry role models.

Innovation at the expense of inclusion will only get us so far; the two must be accelerated together as a dynamic digital duo to propel our industry to new heights. This pursuit of progress is ingrained into the very DNA of our Women in Tech Awards, which has grown year-on-year into a positive reinforcement of Northern Ireland’s thriving tech sector.

A night of celebration and reward, the showpiece event is the culmination of our year-round commitment at Women in Business to amplify the tech industry’s incredible women and their continued positive impact in Northern Ireland and beyond.

Tuesday 24 June 2025