Aepa joins Association of Professional Women in Real Estate Industry
Across the board, women in Spain continue to be underrepresented in digital technology roles. The latest figures show that green shoots are visible but progress remains slow: a small share of the workforce in Spain—around 1.7 percent of working women—occupies digital technology environments, compared with about 6.19 percent of men. The event highlighted this gap and the urgent need to bridge it. During the celebration of the I Forum Aepa Innova, the president announced that the Alicante Business Women and Professionals Association (Aepa) would redouble its efforts to close the digital divide in this critical field. The emphasis was clear: achieving true equality requires deliberate, sustained action from organizations and institutions alike.
Fernández stressed that these numbers are not just statistics but signals that there is still substantial work to be done to reach equal opportunity in technology-related careers. The goal, she noted, is to ensure fair access and meaningful participation for women across all levels of the technology ecosystem, a cornerstone objective of Aepa’s mission.
The Aepa Innova Forum brought together more than 180 businesswomen and executives who participated alongside leaders from the public sector. Among the attendees was the Minister of Innovation and Universities, who spoke about the necessity of integrating a gender perspective into science and technology if excellence is to be achieved. The message was consistent: diverse perspectives drive innovation and better outcomes for society as a whole.
The event was sponsored by Banco Sabadell and supported by a network of prominent national and international partners. Attendees heard from a roster of notable speakers in the fields of innovation, digital transformation, and disruptive technologies. They shared insights about their areas of work and discussed how modern technologies can be harnessed to serve people—improving accessibility, efficiency, and quality of life in everyday settings.
Other highlights included stories of women entrepreneurs and startups that have been promoted or joined by Angels Capital, the venture capital arm of Lanzadera accelerator, as well as commentary from João Roig’s team on regional entrepreneurship. Paula Haro, CEO and founder of MCReif, Irene Gomez, CEO and co‑founder of Keybotic, and Sandra Moreno, an account manager who has helped advance the first Spanish metadata store for content and brands, shared their journeys and lessons learned. Their experiences underscored how leadership, mentorship, and strategic funding can accelerate female participation in technology-led ventures.
Industry leaders from large tech organizations participated as well. Olga White, vice president for IBM Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Israel, joined the discussion to emphasize the role of inclusive leadership in global tech. Manuel Bonilla, president of Encuentros NOW, offered perspectives on digital transformation from a strategic management standpoint and explained how organizations can integrate new technologies without losing their core human values. Jose Angel Lopez, the EMEAR sales strategist at Cisco Systems, described how disruptive technologies deliver tangible societal benefits and create new opportunities for workers across sectors.
The forum closed with reflections from Fernando Canos, Banco Sabadell’s vice president and eastern regional manager, who highlighted the value that private organizations bring to social initiatives. He underscored the potential of disruptive technologies to improve processes across industries and the importance of aligning corporate efforts with broader community needs. The overarching takeaway was clear: collaboration between women in leadership, industry players, and public institutions can propel meaningful progress toward a more inclusive tech landscape.
In sum, the Aepa Innova Forum served not only as a celebration of women’s achievements but also as a call to action. It showcased how partnerships, capital, and policy can converge to close the digital gap and foster a future where women have equal opportunities to shape technology and its impact on society. The event highlighted practical steps, from mentoring and funding to inclusive hiring practices, that organizations can adopt to advance gender equality in tech. Those present left with a shared resolve to turn insight into action and to build a more equitable tech ecosystem for the next generation of female professionals. [Cited from forum proceedings and participating organizations].