Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-WürttembergNetworking Event „Beteiligungsprogramm@MINT“ - Artificial Intelligence: Innovation and skilled professionals of tomorrow

The 10th virtual network meeting in the Beteiligungsprogramm@MINT programme on 27 May 2025 focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be meaningfully integrated into companies and what skills professionals – especially women – need to do so. The focus was on practical ideas from companies, scientific findings, and concrete recommendations for greater equality in an increasingly AI-driven world of work.

Dr Birgit Buschmann from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Wuerttemberg opened the network meeting with the message that AI skills are key qualifications for optimising business processes and new business models. This requires sufficiently qualified specialists and targeted further training in the field of AI.

Keynote speaker Anamaria Cristescu reported from her study that women continue to be severely underrepresented in AI professions: in 2022, they accounted for only 22% of the global workforce. Studies also show that women are less likely to use AI in the workplace, which can reinforce existing inequalities. Therefore, more training opportunities and visibility for women in the AI sector are needed.

The 10th network meeting was held as an online event in Webex for the state initiative Women in STEM Professions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, commissioned by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum was responsible for the conception, implementation and follow-up of the event, including the agenda, speaker management, and technical support.