Panel Insights: From Inclusion to Leadership – Building Gender Equity in Semiconductor and AI

In one of the most thought-provoking sessions of Semi Impact Forum 2025, an all-female panel tackled the persistent gender gap in the semiconductor and AI industries. With only 18% of technical semiconductor roles in the UK held by women, the conversation shifted away from symbolic representation toward actionable leadership, equity, and systemic change.

The speakers—spanning policy, IP law, investment, and innovation—called for deeper collaboration between government, industry, and academia to reframe how talent is recruited, retained, and advanced.

Laura Foster – Associate Director, Technology & Innovation, techUK

Set the stage with stark data and a call for systemic change

Laura opened with key findings from a Perspective Economics report, noting that while 26% of UK tech roles are filled by women, only 18% are in technical semiconductor positions—a sign of deeper barriers to entry and progression.

She warned that women’s progress in STEM and high-wage tech careers is stagnating, and argued that inclusion efforts must evolve beyond internships and events. She advocated for long-term structural change, including alternative talent pathways like apprenticeships, retraining, and policy support.

ShaoLan Hsueh – Chair, Semi Ventures

Offered a global perspective and solutions from Taiwan

ShaoLan brought an international lens to the discussion, citing Taiwan’s push to invest in early education, inclusive leadership panels, and diverse curriculum design. She highlighted ARM’s education work as a model, while noting Taiwan’s recruitment challenges, including demographic shifts and pressures on major firms like TSMC to diversify.

She emphasised that inclusion begins in how we teach and structure opportunity—not just who we hire—and advocated for international exchange programmes between countries like Taiwan and the UK to scale impact.

Janet Collyer – Member, UK Semiconductor Policy Advisory Panel

Shared firsthand experience from decades in engineering

Janet reflected on entering the engineering field at a time when there were no women in senior technical roles. Her insights cut through the abstract: inclusion isn’t about representation alone—it’s about leadership access.

She stressed the importance of gender-tailored recruitment strategies, structured mentoring, performance measurement, and flexible work policies to retain female talent. Janet also positioned AI as a transformation lever—a chance to rethink roles and attract new kinds of contributors to the tech workforce.

Suzanne Oliver – Director, IP Strategy, Scintilla IP

Challenged binary thinking and called for shared responsibility

Suzanne argued that closing the gender gap is everyone’s responsibility—not just women’s. She advocated for a shift away from gender-versus-gender framing, and towards an EDI (equity, diversity, inclusion) framework that redefines what leadership and team composition should look like.

She also championed early STEM education and narrative change in schools—stating that the problem isn’t just pipeline, but how opportunity is defined and perceived at the earliest stages.

Viktoriya Tihipko – Founding Partner & Managing Director, TA Ventures

Brought insights from Ukraine’s female tech participation

Viktoriya shared compelling data: in Ukraine, 47% of scientists and 56% of VC investors are women, yet female startup founders remain underrepresented. The issue, she argued, is not interest or capability, but structural gaps in leadership opportunities.

She proposed cross-national initiatives like free training schemes and women-led exchanges between ecosystems with high female participation—particularly linking Ukraine and Taiwan with UK institutions.

Key Takeaways & Action Points

• Redesign recruitment to attract, not deter—language in job ads matters.

• Shift the focus from “women in leadership” to inclusive leadership development.

• Launch dedicated initiatives modelled on IP law frameworks (e.g. IPCLIF) for inclusion in semiconductors.

• Build partnerships with institutions like the National Computer Centre to create women-centric programmes with measurable outcomes.

• Develop international training and exchange programmes, starting with countries already showing high female participation in tech.

Closing Reflections

This panel made one thing clear: gender equity in semiconductors and AI is not a siloed issue—it’s a system-wide challenge. From education and policy to leadership pipelines and cultural narratives, change will only come through coordinated, long-term effort.

The conversation doesn’t end here. It continues in classrooms, boardrooms, hiring committees—and at the next global forum where inclusion is treated not as a side issue, but a strategic advantage.