Women in Tech Leadership Forum 2026 – Building the Big Future

Nina Niva, Senior Advisor at HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management, attended the international Women in Tech Leadership Forum 2026, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Organised by Women in Tech Uzbekistan under the inspiring theme “Building the Big Future,” the forum brought together an impressive international community of technology leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators and experts to explore the future of technology and the growing role of women in shaping digital transformation.

The event attracted more than 200 participants from over 10 countries, featuring more than 35 international and local speakers. The forum provided a vibrant and highly engaging environment, characterised by inspiring discussions, innovative ideas and active interaction among participants. The atmosphere was exceptionally energetic, reflecting the enthusiasm and commitment of participants to advancing technological innovation and women’s leadership.

Beyond its substantive programme, the forum offered an excellent opportunity for international networking, exchanging experiences and establishing new professional connections across the technology, public administration and innovation sectors.

Opening Ceremony and Strategic Vision

The forum was officially opened by Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, and Kamola Sobirova, Advisor to the Minister. Their opening remarks highlighted the strategic importance of women’s participation in the digital economy, the need to create new opportunities in emerging technologies and the importance of strengthening women’s leadership and entrepreneurial potential.

The discussions reflected Uzbekistan’s ambition to position itself as an emerging regional hub for digital innovation, technological entrepreneurship and international cooperation.

A central message throughout the forum was that technological advancement alone is not sufficient to secure future competitiveness. Countries must also invest in human capital, inclusive leadership, digital skills, trust and forward-looking policies.

Key Themes and Highlights of the Forum

The programme covered an exceptionally broad range of forward-looking topics, including AI, financial technologies (FinTech), women’s health technologies (FemTech), robotics, space technologies, digital education, technological diplomacy and leadership.

Artificial intelligence, education and the future workforce

The keynote “The Last Job Humans Do” examined the rapidly evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human work, raising important questions about future employment, leadership and the competencies needed in AI-enabled workplaces.

The panel “Schools for Jobs That Don’t Exist Yet” explored innovative education models and approaches to preparing future generations for professions and technologies that have yet to emerge.

These discussions reinforced the importance of continuous learning, adaptability and future-oriented capacity development, particularly for public sector organisations responsible for designing and implementing digital transformation policies.

Space technologies, robotics and emerging innovations

One of the most exciting sessions was the panel “Above Us: Space, Robots, Drones,” which examined developments in robotics, drones, space technologies and intelligent autonomous systems.

HAUS contributed to the international dimension of the forum by inviting Aziza Ibrayeva, Founder of Celstrat and Chief Commercial Officer, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, to participate as a representative of Finland in this topical panel. Her participation provided an excellent opportunity to contribute different perspectives to discussions on emerging technologies and their potential future applications. She also shared her own professional experiences and insights, enriching the exchange of ideas and fostering meaningful dialogue among participants.

Another notable highlight was the presentation of a satellite developed in Uzbekistan, including the introduction of the project team and a launch film. This demonstrated the country’s growing ambitions in advanced technologies and space innovation.

FinTech, FemTech and entrepreneurship

The keynote “The Future of Money” addressed the transformation of financial services, digital payments, financial regulation and the opportunities and challenges associated with increasingly cashless economies.

The session “The Body Is the Next Platform” focused on health technologies, biotechnology and the potential of deep-tech innovation to transform healthcare, medical research and related industries.

The “Founder’s Mind” session provided an inspiring entrepreneurial perspective, featuring experiences of investors and emerging startup founders developing innovative solutions in Uzbekistan.

A Global Milestone: One Million Women in Tech

One of the most memorable moments of the forum was the announcement that the Women in Tech Global community had reached one million women worldwide.

The milestone was celebrated in Tashkent in the presence of Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech Global, highlighting the expanding international movement to empower women through technology, innovation and leadership.

Discussions also addressed the future development of the global community, new partnerships and opportunities to strengthen women’s access to technological education, entrepreneurship, leadership positions and international professional networks.

Relevance to HAUS and International Cooperation

Participation in the forum was highly relevant to HAUS’s international activities, particularly its work in digital governance, public sector capacity development, digital transformation and international cooperation.

Several themes discussed during the event were closely aligned with the objectives of the EU-funded Digital Connectivity in Central Asia (C4CA) initiative and its Digital Governance Training Programme, implemented by HAUS.

The forum provided valuable insights into:

• Digital governance and leadership: The importance of strategic leadership, institutional readiness and effective public policies in managing digital transformation.
• AI and future skills: The need to strengthen digital competencies and prepare public sector professionals for rapidly changing technological environments.
• Inclusive digital transformation: The importance of ensuring equal opportunities for women to participate in digital innovation, decision-making and technological leadership.
• International cooperation and networking: Opportunities to connect with experts, policymakers, innovators and organisations working on digital transformation and capacity development.

The event also offered a valuable opportunity to strengthen HAUS’s visibility and professional networks within Central Asia’s dynamic digital innovation ecosystem and to identify potential areas for future cooperation.