Manufacturing is entering a transformative phase known as New Manufacturing, where technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, advanced materials, and digital design are reshaping how industries create value.

Asia has emerged as the central driver of this transformation. An often overlooked advantage behind this momentum is Asia’s strong female talent pipeline in STEM fields, with several economies reporting high shares of female researchers and science graduates.

While women are well represented in universities and research roles, they are still underrepresented in executive positions across the technology and manufacturing sectors. Global Women Asia (GWA) works to bridge this gap by supporting female innovators and connecting them to leadership opportunities shaping the future of New Manufacturing.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Global Women Asia hosted its first ever online reunion of fellows. Bringing together leaders across fields of Sustainability, STEM, and Health Innovation, GWA continues to foster a global network of leaders working to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Nominate a fellow to help invest in the next generation of leaders.

Global Women Asia co-hosted a roundtable with Stanford University’s Taiwan Hub, convening tech leaders, investors, and researchers to discuss New Manufacturing Innovation in Asia. As we continue exploring the relationship between humans and technology during the fourth industrial revolution, we invite you to nominate women for the New Manufacturing Innovation Fellowship.

As GWA introduces our 2026 focus theme of New Manufacturing Innovation, we kicked off January with a series of roundtable discussions in Singapore, Shenzhen, and Taipei.