The future of tech needs more perspectives, not just more technology

From AI ambition to real business value

The evening kicked off with insights from Atea’s CIO Analytics 2026, offering a snapshot of the priorities and challenges facing IT decision-makers across the Nordics and Baltics.

One statistic stood out: only 18% of organisations say they have created significant value from AI.

While AI adoption is growing, many organisations are still struggling to turn experimentation into meaningful business impact. Security, regulatory uncertainty and data management remain major obstacles.

Cybersecurity continues to be a pressing concern, too. Despite growing security awareness, many organisations still don’t regularly test their preparedness plans.

The takeaway? Technology alone won’t solve these challenges. It takes leadership, the right competencies and a clear understanding of how technology creates value.

It’s time for tech to adapt

The conversation then turned to a question close to our hearts at Women in Tech: How do we attract more women to tech, and how do we make them want to stay?

One important perspective emerged from the panel: perhaps we need to stop asking women to be brave enough to enter tech and start asking whether the industry is doing enough to welcome them.

Creating an inclusive workplace isn’t just about encouraging individuals to speak up. It’s about building cultures where people feel safe contributing, challenging ideas and bringing different perspectives to the table.

Sometimes inclusion starts with something surprisingly simple. A colleague inviting someone to lunch. A manager genuinely asking, “What do you think?” Small actions that create a sense of belonging.

Make them stay and slay

At Women in Tech, we know that women already working in the industry genuinely enjoy what they do. In our member surveys, 99% say they like working in tech, often because they get to solve real, challenging problems.

And there’s encouraging progress. The share of members considering leaving the industry has dropped from around 40% a few years ago to 20% in recent surveys.

But attracting women is only half the challenge. We also need to create opportunities for them to grow, whether that’s through leadership, technical expertise or entirely new career paths.

Because we don’t just need more women leading tech companies. We need more women shaping the technology itself.

From AI tools to digital public services, diverse perspectives help us build better solutions for more people.

The conversations that move us forward

What made the evening particularly valuable was the openness in the room. Experienced professionals, newcomers and students shared questions, experiences and ideas about what the future of tech could look like.

A huge thank you to Atea Sweden, our panelists and everyone who joined us in Malmö for an evening filled with curiosity, inspiration and connection.

The future of tech isn’t only about what we build. It’s about who gets to build it.