04 February 2026
Bilbao
On 4 and 5 February, the University of Deusto will host the 10th edition of Inspiring Women Leaders in the Digital Era (IWL), a leading international event focused on leadership, innovation and technology. Over the past decade, this conference has highlighted the disruptive talent of women and fostered a global community of change-makers. The theme for the 2026 edition will be “Building the Future Together”, with representatives from over 29 countries.
Inspiring Women Leaders is an initiative founded by Teresa Alarcos, an international authority on women’s leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and author of the bestseller Emprendedoras. Since its inception, it has brought together leaders from more than 29 countries, building a unique value-creation network that drives innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration across diverse ecosystems worldwide.
The aim of this event is to foster dialogue between start-ups, corporations, investors, academia and public institutions, in order to forge partnerships, share knowledge and create new business opportunities. The event is officially sponsored by the European Parliament, reinforcing its scope and commitment to technological and inclusive transformation.
Over the course of the two-day event, the speakers will discuss the technologies that are transforming the world today. The main themes will focus on topics such as the practical applications of quantum computing, generative artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and investment in disruptive projects.
The event will also explore best practices for fostering diverse and innovative talent, as well as the links between boards of directors and innovation ecosystems.
The event will be held in a hybrid format and may be attended in person on the Bilbao campus or via live stream, with simultaneous interpretation from Spanish into English.
Opening ceremony and talks
The Rector of the University of Deusto, Juan José Etxeberria, will open this event on 4 February at 16:30 in the Ceremonial Hall. The session will begin with an institutional panel featuring independent board member and chair of Inspiring Women Leaders, Teresa M. Alarcos; the Provincial Councillor for Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Biscay, Ainara Basurko; the Councillor for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism and Employment of the Bilbao City Council, Kontxi Claver; and the Director of Digital Transformation of the Basque Government.
In addition to the various panel discussions, the forum will feature talks by Julia Díaz, Head of Data Science at Repsol, on “The evolution of AI from its beginnings to agents”; by Silvia Tomillo, CEO of AGM Global and Special Councillor for Administrative Modernisation at Valladolid City Council, entitled “From entrepreneur to gobtech”; by Margarita Pardo, general and helicopter pilot, with the presentation “Leading in uncertain times and opportunities”; and by Marjorie Hernández, co-founder of Lukso & Dematerialised, with the talk “How did I become a pioneering VR & Crypto entrepreneur?”, amongst others.
The event is organised and promoted by Wstartupcommunity in collaboration with Deusto Entrepreneurship. Corporate partners of WstartupCommunity will include Repsol, Volvo Cars, L’Oréal, Fujitsu, the Euskaltel Foundation, Qcentroid and, on this occasion, the Provincial Council of Biscay and the European Parliament, as well as the participation of some of their presidents.
