The future of industry lies in skills, innovation and sustainable development. But what happens when important perspectives risk being lost - or never even allowed in?
In a conversation recorded live during the Industry Fairs in Öresund 2025, Josef Forsman, consultant at Plantvision, and Sara Wiggberg, expert on gender equality, leadership and business development, raised a business-critical perspective: how do we retain female skills in industry?
A historical perspective
Sara Wiggberg has worked for over 20 years on issues related to gender equality, leadership and business development in several industries, from music and events to sports and industry. She points out that the industry's unequal gender distribution - and its effects - are linked to a historically male-dominated structure.
"After a while, women came in, but they got the dirtiest, dirtiest, heaviest and lowest paid jobs. Even though perceptions have changed, the image remains and creates barriers to new recruitment," she says.
But it's not just about getting women to start - it's even more about getting them to stay. Wiggberg says many women leave the industry because of the jargon, the work environment and the feeling of constantly having to prove themselves. "I felt like I had to be better than my male colleagues all the time," was one example she heard from a participant after her talk.
The art of change
Change requires structure and perseverance. A concrete example is Tranemo Prefab in the concrete industry, which increased the proportion of women from 0.7 to 25 percent through 14 years of systematic work. It started with a simple insight from the owner: that the environment in the factory needed to be improved, and that a mix of genders could be the way to go. Despite initial resistance, today the company has a very different working environment.
Similar lessons can be found in sport, where the focus has shifted from early elite training to creating safe development environments. "A safe employee who feels good and can develop their creativity and potential will be a more effective asset for the industrial company," says Wiggberg. In other words, performance increases when individuals feel included and respected.
Positive effects
The business case for gender equality is clear. Research shows that diverse teams - groups with a variety of genders, backgrounds and skills - perform better in innovation, creativity and collaboration. Companies with women on management teams and boards often show higher profitability. "It's not a question of keeping women happy. It's about growth and profitability," says Wiggberg.
For industrial companies that want to take the next step, it's about starting with themselves. Wiggberg's advice is to map out the organization: where are the women? What does it look like in different 'rooms' - in the management team, in production, in the changing room? What is the culture? With facts as a basis, it is possible to take more accurate and relevant measures.
"Take this issue seriously. From a business-critical perspective and not as a side issue", Sara Wiggberg summarizes.
For the future of the industry, this is an issue we cannot afford to marginalize.
