In this exclusive op-ed for The Manufacturer, ABB‘s Giada Volpin explores why companies need to give the human element of digital transformation just as much focus as infrastructure readiness or system reliability.
Recent World Economic Forum data paints a stark picture of our technical workforce: women comprise just 28.2% of STEM workers globally and only 22% of artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. As industries accelerate adoption of AI and predictive technologies in what’s commonly known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this gender imbalance has implications extending far beyond diversity. In fact, I’d argue that it encroaches on our fundamental ability to innovate.
Through our work developing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and AI solutions for industrial customers, one thing has become clear to me: the most sophisticated technology is only as effective as our ability to successfully implement it. The real challenge isn’t creating new algorithms or deploying sensors. There’s more value in helping experienced industrial teams adapt to and embrace these digital tools, which is precisely why having different perspectives and approaches becomes crucial.
Consider predictive maintenance, a cornerstone of modern industrial operations. Through advanced analytics and real-time monitoring, electrification specialists can now prevent up to 70% of potential equipment failures before they occur. Yet industry data shows that less than 35% of industrial leaders have successfully scaled their IoT and predictive maintenance implementations. So why is it that despite these impressive capabilities, many industries struggle to successfully adopt new technologies?
Conventional wisdom often points to infrastructure readiness or system reliability as the main consideration. However, my experience suggests a more fundamental challenge: the human element of digital transformation.
The field test
When we deploy AR solutions for remote maintenance and troubleshooting, success depends on understanding how people learn and adapt. Recently, at an educational institution in Malaysia, we saw this concept in action. A critical circuit breaker required repairs that would traditionally have needed on-site support from a specialized expert from our factory in Germany. Instead of flying in our experts, we tried something different: we created a virtual AR-enabled bridge between experienced technicians and the team on the ground.
Through on-screen annotations and digital overlays, we were able to help local technicians gain confidence with the repairs they were previously unfamiliar with. As a woman leading technical teams, I’ve found that this kind of collaborative problem-solving particularly benefits from diverse leadership. Female technical leaders often bring different approaches to knowledge transfer and team building, focusing not just on the technical solution but on building lasting confidence and capabilities. Beyond saving time and preventing 668kg of CO₂ emissions, we discovered something more valuable: when people from different backgrounds collaborate, they find innovative ways to solve problems.
Most importantly, this success demonstrated how technology can break down traditional barriers and create new possibilities for knowledge transfer and collaboration. It’s this kind of transformation that makes our industry’s lack of diverse perspectives concerning. The technology sector continues to show persistent gender gaps in AI talent and technical leadership. It’s no debate that women in STEM face a steep path to leadership, accounting for 29.4% of entry-level workers and only 12.4% of C-suite executives. This reality is what drives our commitment to be change-makers at ABB, where we’ve increased female senior management representation from 17.8% in 2022 to 21.0% in 2023, which is tangible movement toward our 2030 sustainability target of 25%.
As our Malaysia example shows, when we open new channels for collaboration and diverse thinking, we achieve better outcomes. Despite this, we still often find it difficult to apply this same principle to our technical leadership. This contradiction persists even as we navigate the complexities of an increasingly interconnected and technologically demanding global landscape where diverse thinking is no longer optional, but essential, to address the complex challenges that define our industry’s future.
Rewiring the system
As we push the boundaries of industrial digitalization, we must recognize that technology adoption is, fundamentally, a human process. Leading mixed gender technical teams has shown me how there are myriad ways to approach a challenge. While some team members focus on technical optimization, others may naturally consider user experience or cultural factors. One team member might spot potential resistance to change that others miss, while another might suggest training approaches that resonate with different learning styles. This diversity of thought isn’t just a nice-to-have – in fact, I believe that it’s essential for developing solutions that work effectively in real industrial settings, where livelihoods and business success are indisputably intertwined. In my experience, when we get the human element right, the operational and financial benefits naturally follow.
The next wave of industrial innovation will succeed or fail based on how well we understand and address human needs. When we limit our technical teams to a narrow range of perspectives, we risk creating solutions that work perfectly in theory but fail in practice. I’ve seen this firsthand: the most elegant technical solution can fail if it doesn’t account for how people actually work and learn.
Engineering’s path ahead
Looking ahead, we must transform how we think about technical talent. Just as predictive maintenance requires us to understand both machines and human behavior, building effective teams requires us to look beyond traditional technical credentials. We need people who can bridge the gap between complex technology and human understanding.
The industrial sector stands at a critical juncture, where success depends not just on what we build, but on how well we help people embrace new ways of working. We particularly need more women in technical roles who can bridge the gap between complex technology and human understanding. The evidence is clear: diverse teams bring the range of perspectives needed to drive successful digitalization, especially in a sector that depends on understanding and meeting the needs of a customer base that spans multiple sectors and geographical regions, each with unique operational demands and challenges.
For those of us working at the forefront of industrial technology, the message is clear: building the future requires all hands on deck. We need teams that can combine technological innovation with deep understanding of human needs and behaviors, and it’s time to ensure our teams reflect this reality.
About the author
Giada Volpin, Global Product Manager, ABB Electrification Service.
Giada represents a new generation of technical leaders that are leading a silent revolution in industrial maintenance, through the advent of advanced analytics and machine learning. Giada’s work in deploying nascent technologies like AR and AI to support ABB’s solutions spotlights how technical leaders are bridging the gap between traditional industrial operations and advanced predictive technologies, at a time when the WEF reports the technology sector continues to show persistent gender gaps in AI talent and technical leadership.
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