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- BluSpecs monthly newsletter – March edition
BluSpecs monthly newsletter – March edition
From diversity dashboards to digital skills strategies—this month’s highlights explore how data is powering smarter decisions, stronger policies, and a more inclusive digital future.
BluSpecs
March 31st, 2025
Data that drives change 📈
Our data shows that if you have women in leadership positions, the chances are that there are more women in that company across technical roles and all levels in that organisation
Despite mounting evidence that female-led startups outperform their peers, only 1% of VC funding in Europe is allocated to women-only teams (European Women in VC, 2023). Tanya Suarez, our CEO & Founder and who chaired the GENDEX board of experts, dissects the systemic barriers that continue to limit funding access for women founders, from unconscious bias and limited exposure to entrenched industry norms.
GENDEX is a data-driven dashboard that traces gender representation across the deep tech ecosystem. It identifies where women are leaving the pipeline and why. It calls for a shift from narrative to evidence-based action, stressing that improving gender diversity is not simply a matter of fairness, but an economic imperative. With female-led IPOs valued at double the average of male-led exits, closing the funding gap makes business sense.
Ready to benchmark your diversity efforts? Take the GENDEX Pulse today and help drive change!
INSTAR Signs MoU with Japan | A global step in tech standardisation 🇯🇵 🇪🇺
As technology continues to evolve at pace, international cooperation is crucial to creating inclusive, forward-looking standards. The INSTAR initiative has taken a major leap by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE). This milestone strengthens the EU-Japan digital partnership, focusing on next-generation technologies such as 5G/6G, AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and quantum computing.
This agreement will facilitate joint roadmap development, mutual recognition of standards, and increased information exchange across regulatory environments. With Japan and the EU collectively investing billions into digital transformation, shared frameworks ensure alignment and interoperability on a global scale. BluSpecs continues to coordinate INSTAR's role in convening policy, industry and technical communities around these shared objectives.
Want to learn how regulations are shaping your industry? Connect with us to explore further!
The missing link in digital transformation? Your voice matters 📝
Preliminary findings show that 73% of companies lack a clear strategy for integrating tech with human capabilities (Capgemini, 2023). Your input can help shape recommendations for policymakers, educators, and employers across the continent.
As digital technologies transform workplaces, understanding their impact on human roles is essential. The TechConnect project, funded under Horizon Europe, is conducting a Europe-wide survey to gather insights on how organisations are adopting and adapting to emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and robotics.
The survey explores how businesses are addressing tech resistance, skills mismatches, and organisational readiness.
LEADSx2030 in Luxembourg | Advancing a Skilled Europe 📚
Europe is facing a critical shortage of digital professionals, with 20 million ICT specialists needed by 2030 to meet demand (European Commission, 2023). The recent LEADSx2030 event in Luxembourg brought together educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to map out strategies to build a digitally skilled, inclusive workforce
Key sessions explored region-specific skill gaps, scalable training models, and the role of public-private partnerships in accelerating upskilling. There was also a strong focus on increasing female participation in digital careers, with case studies demonstrating the economic and social impact of targeted training programmes.
This event further solidified the LEADSx2030 commitment to building resilient, adaptable digital ecosystems across Europe.
Discover how advanced digital skills can drive your organisation forward. Reach out to explore the possibilities.
The LEADSx2030 Best Practice Library is a new resource designed to support professionals and policymakers working to enhance Europe’s digital skills. This platform brings together innovative tools, methodologies, and frameworks developed by experts to strengthen the region’s digital capabilities.
The library features valuable resources on monitoring digital skills demand, designing effective training programs, upskilling the workforce, fostering industry-education collaboration, and increasing female participation in digital sectors.
If you're working on a digital skills project or have relevant best practices, you can contribute to the library and share your expertise with others in the field.