Despite a skills shortage in the sector, women remain significantly underrepresented, especially in leadership and technical roles, according to a survey by Xenon Health Solutions on behalf of Irish Medtech Skillnet, First Polymer Training Skillnet, and Connected Health Skillnet.
The Empowering Women in STEM report found that while the number of female STEM graduates in Ireland is increasing, just one in four STEM professionals in the workforce are women. This disparity is even more pronounced for leadership roles, where women hold just 19% of CEO positions in large enterprises.
The report highlighted the crucial role of upskilling in addressing the ongoing gender imbalance in Ireland’s STEM sectors.
The report revealed that girls in Ireland continue to opt out of STEM subjects at an early stage, with only 29% of girls choosing a STEM subject beyond maths or science in secondary school. Despite earning STEM degrees, women often face barriers to career progression, with leadership representation significantly lagging male counterparts. Industry respondents cited a lack of flexible work options, unconscious bias, and limited mentorship opportunities as key obstacles preventing women from advancing in health technology careers. Meanwhile, 40% of surveyed companies lack formal gender equity strategies, highlighting an urgent need for industry-wide policy shifts.
Dave Flynn, Skillnet Ireland director of business networks, said: “This report highlights the critical need to strengthen and diversify Ireland’s STEM talent pipeline, particularly within the rapidly evolving health technology sector. This sector is vital to Ireland’s economy, and ensuring it is inclusive and future-ready is a key priority for Skillnet Ireland. We are committed to supporting women in STEM by providing targeted development opportunities that empower individuals and drive innovation.”
Among the key recommendations outlined in the report are the provision of training and education opportunities for women with leadership aspirations; to address skills and qualification gaps that may be hindering career progression; and the implementation of unconscious bias training within businesses to foster a more inclusive workplace culture.
Dr Ann O’Connell, head of funded projects for medtech and engineering at Ibec, and network manager for Irish Medtech Skillnet, said: “This report re-emphasises the need for gender equity across the Health Technology sectors and offers informed insights to support companies in developing an effective gender representation strategy. The underrepresentation of women and girls in STEM is a lost opportunity for innovation, growth, and global impact at a time when the world faces unprecedented health challenges. As the sector continues to expand, this report will serve as a key resource, guiding efforts toward fostering a more balanced representation of gender within the health technology ecosystem.”
A total of 207 health technology industry representatives and 49 educators participated in the research.
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