Safina de Klerk named one of Norway's 50 leading tech women 2026
Today, Abelia and ODA-nettverk are launching the list of Norway's 50 leading tech women. NITO's Vice President Safina de Klerk is on this year's list.
The award, which celebrates its anniversary with its tenth edition, aims to highlight role models to get more people to choose technology and science subjects.
"This is a great honor. In an ideal world, such awards should be superfluous in 2026, but when we see that the male dominance in technology is still so great, it is important that we tech women are clear that our place in the industry is important," says de Klerk.
She is concerned that girls are underrepresented in technology subjects.
We need to inspire more girls to choose these subjects, and we need to start early. I am happy that Abelia and the ODA network highlight tech women every single year. Now I hope that politicians and the business community can work strategically together to ensure that gender equality becomes a natural part of technology development.
Safina de Klerk, Vice President of NITO
Abelia hopes the award will inspire.
"With the advent of artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever to have diversity in the technology industry, so that we develop solutions that include – and do not exclude. We are proud to highlight that diversity today," says jury chairman and CEO of Abelia, Øystein E. Søreide.
Crucial for restructuring
Six out of ten companies in NHO have an unmet need for skills, according to this year's Competence Barometer. Technology and industry, electrical engineering and building and construction are particularly in demand.
"There is a clear need in the business community, and Norway is going through a restructuring where we are dependent on the brightest minds," says Søreide.
"AI has become accessible to everyone. The new scarce commodity is the ability to convert AI into actual value. There are clear differences in who uses the technology, and who risks being left behind," says Kine Dahl, CEO of ODA-Network.
Figures from Statistics Norway show clear gender differences. Among 16–79-year-olds, 58% of men and 49% of women use generative AI. Age reinforces the differences: 80% of 16–24-year-olds have tried AI, compared to 6% of 75–79-year-olds.
"In ODA-Network, we are concerned with building technology competence and getting more women to choose technology as a field of study and in working life. That is why role models are important. If Norway is to succeed, it must go faster, and more perspectives are included – both in the code club and the boardroom," says Dahl.
About the award
Abelia, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) for knowledge and technology companies, and ODA Network, the Nordic region's leading network for diversity in tech, are behind the award. The purpose is to increase the proportion of women who are passionate about and work with technology.
The jury has emphasized the following in its selection of the list:
- Technology understanding
- Concrete contributions and achievements
- motivation/efforts for diversity and inclusion in technology
The jury has consisted of:
- Ahmed Hassan, Amesto Aces
- Anne Grethe Solberg, OsloMet
- Elisabet Haugsbø, Tekna
- Eva Camerer, Innovation Norway
- John Markus Lervik, Cognite
- Kristine Dahl Steidel, Microsoft
- Tonja Joseph, Norwegian Subsea
- Vegard Storstad, Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV)
- Kine Dahl, ODA Network
- Øystein Eriksen Søreide, Abelia
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