In an industry that has remained stagnant for a decade when it comes to including young women, Northern Central Sweden is pointing the way forward. A full 68% say they would find it appealing to work in IT and tech — the highest figure in the country. Bredband2 is now taking action to help more people make the leap through the Upptech Framtiden scholarship.
“The entire tech industry is a single, large failure.” That was Bredband2’s blunt assessment in a previous press release about gender imbalance in the sector. Despite many initiatives, just 6% of young women today are working in tech — a number that has not changed in over ten years.
Yet in Northern Central Sweden we see a turning point in interest in tech.
New figures from the report Young Women and Tech 2025 show that:
- 68% of young women in the region say it would be “very or fairly appealing” to work in IT/tech.
- 37% report that their interest in tech has increased over the past three years — the highest increase in the country.
- 42% would be more interested if they saw clearer career paths.
- 35% say that easier access to education would raise their interest.
“There is no shortage of willingness,” says Sofia Topphem Jupiter, Brand Manager at Bredband2. “The problem is that young women perceive a lack of opportunities. When young women in Northern Central Sweden now show strong interest, it is our responsibility as an industry to open the doors. That is why we are launching the Upptech Framtiden scholarship.”
Upptech Framtiden is a scholarship from Bredband2 that offers three women or non-binary individuals the chance to study tech at no cost. It is a concrete effort to lower barriers and create new entry routes — especially for those who are curious but lack the financial or practical means to take the next step.
Facts:
- Only 6% of young women in Sweden currently work in tech — a figure that has remained unchanged since 2015.
- In Northern Central Sweden, interest in tech is the highest in the country — and growing the fastest.
- Northern Central Sweden has the largest share of young women who want to work with AI, often because they view it as future-proof and an opportunity to solve problems and innovate.
Applications for the Upptech Framtiden scholarship are open until 25 May 2025. More information about the scholarship is available at www.bredband2.com/upptechframtiden
*The survey “Young Women and Tech” has been conducted annually since 2015 and each year includes responses from 1,000 women in Sweden aged 16–30. This year’s edition was produced by Bredband2 in collaboration with Tietoevry, Amazon Web Services and Insight Intelligence.