International Day of Women and Girls in Science takes place on 11 February (2/11). For this reason, Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A. organised a roundtable discussion on Women in Technology and Industry with four renowned professionals in their respective fields: Lourdes García Duarte, Mar Duque Sanchidrián, María José García Fusté, and Aintzane Pérez Zabala.
In 2024, Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A. interviewed three professionals in the field of radiotherapy. In 2025, we continued this work of recognising the essential role of women in the scientific and technological community. In this case, we organised a round table discussion on women in Radiation Oncology. In 2026, we broadened the focus of the round table to be more cross-cutting. It was attended by high-level scientific and technological professionals from the electrical grid, electrical goods manufacturers, and unique scientific and technical infrastructure, as well as heavy industry.
Ms Lourdes García Duarte is the Head of Innovation at Endesa‘s Networks subsidiary. She holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and has more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector. She leads projects that accelerate the digital transformation of the electricity grid.
Ms Mar Duque Sanchidrián has been the Director General of AFBEL, the Association of Electrical Equipment Manufacturers, since 2012. She holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University (USA). She has extensive experience in the associative sector and managing innovation and international projects.
Ms María José García Fusté is Head of Radiation Protection at the ALBA Synchrotron. She holds a PhD in Atomic, Nuclear and Molecular Physics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She has been Head of Radiation Protection at ALBA for over 10 years.
Ms Aintzane Pérez Zabala is Head of Environmental Management at Nervacero. She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Higher School of Industrial Engineers of Bilbao and an Executive MBA from the University of Deusto. She has more than 20 years of experience in the environment and environmental management in heavy industry.
On behalf of Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A., the panel was moderated by Ms Dolores Bueno López, Head of Scientific Communication at the company. She holds a PhD in Materials Science from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a degree in Chemistry from the University of Navarra.
Round table discussion: ‘Women in tech and industry’
Under the slogan ‘Inspiring role models, growing vocations’, the conversation covered a range of topics. These included career paths, the evolution of women’s presence in the participating organisations, imposter syndrome, women’s approach and advice for future generations of young people in science.
As the slogan indicates, the aim of the round table is to encourage careers in technology and industry among young women who are considering following this professional path. Except for María José García Fusté, the other participants are engineers and highlighted how, although it was not initially a vocational choice, engineering has opened many doors for them until they reached the position they are in now and which they are passionate about. As María José García Fusté pointed out, science and technology allow you to ‘build a mental framework in which you have a great deal of flexibility and can adapt’.
Lourdes García Duarte shared her vision of innovation: ‘Innovation is impact; without impact, there is no innovation: it is an invention that remains in a drawer.’ Aintzane Pérez Zabala recounted how her challenge was to implement a quality management system in a steelworks, where she was the first female technical profile in the company. Mar Duque Sanchidrián wondered: ‘How can you study telecommunications engineering thinking that you’re going to end up as a director in the industrial sector? You can’t foresee that when you’re 20 years old.’
The entire talk was peppered with advice for young women. Among them: don’t obsess over having a clear path to follow; empower yourself to overcome barriers through perseverance and resilience, and to exercise a more humanistic leadership style that cares for the well-being of the entire team; don’t put up mental barriers to any job; trust yourself and be daring.
María José García Fusté closed the panel, defending how there is a lot of creativity within science and technology and that, through them, you can make art, create beauty and develop those creative skills.
At Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A., we would like to thank the participants once again for their generosity with their time and for sharing their experiences with the new generations of women and girls in science.
Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A. is a company focused on innovation. That is why we continually seek talented individuals and promote the growth and development of our team. We are aware of the added difficulties that women may encounter in scientific and technical professions. So we are taking advantage of 11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, to promote the presence of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers at Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A.
You can view our current job vacancies by following this link. It is also possible to submit a spontaneous application, even if your profile does not fit into these categories.
Furthermore, you can visit our News section and subscribe to our newsletter.
