More Women in Science: Biotechnology as a Driving Force to Close the Gender Gap

As noted by the United Nations, women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases when pursuing and developing scientific careers. Although access to higher education has improved significantly, the gender gap widens as professional careers progress, particularly in leadership positions and in the most disruptive technological fields.

Globally, women remain underrepresented in strategic sectors of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Only 22% of professionals in artificial intelligence are women, and despite the high demand for talent, women represent just 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and computing.

In Spain, the data reflect a mixed reality. The country ranks fourth in the European Gender Equality Index, and women make up 57% of university students. However, their presence declines in STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics): only 13% of women choose these degrees, a figure below the OECD average. This gap emerges even before university, with lower female representation in science-focused upper secondary education and in technological vocational training.

In the research sector, women account for 42.1% of R&D personnel in Spain, but their presence drops in areas such as engineering and technology, where the number of female researchers has declined significantly in recent years. Inequality also persists in innovation: although at least one woman inventor appears on 63.5% of patents filed in 2025, only 25.5% of patent applicants are women.

Against this backdrop, the biotechnology sector stands out as an area with greater balance. According to the latest AseBio Report, since 2010 biotech companies have maintained female representation above 50%. In addition, 60% of R&D staff are women, who also hold 29% of executive positions within these companies. These figures demonstrate that biotechnology is a key sector for advancing toward more inclusive science.

Launch of a New Edition of “A Day with a Biotech Woman”

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on February 11, we aim to encourage more young female students to pursue careers in science and innovation. To this end, in collaboration with the Biotech Platform—managed by AseBio—we are launching the fourth edition of the program “A Day with a Biotech Woman”, allowing young women to experience and closely observe the work of a professional in our industry for a full day.

The objectives of this program are to:

• Introduce female students to how a biotechnology company operates and the various career paths the sector offers.
• Highlight the essential role women play in driving innovations that, through biotechnology, help care for and improve people’s health and protect planetary sustainability.
• Showcase opportunities to build a professional career beyond academia, through entrepreneurship or employment in a biotechnology company.

A maximum of 10 places are available for female undergraduate, master’s, or PhD students related to biotechnology from AseBio partner universities or members of the Biotech Platform. Selected participants will spend a day at a biotechnology company anywhere in Spain, following in the footsteps of a biotech woman.