Award-winning NOVA Women in Tech Leadership programme opens for its next cohort

Applications are now open for the next NOVA Women in Tech Leadership programme, which runs from 24 November 2026 to 11 March 2027.

NOVA has been named Most Innovative Institute Approved Programme 2026 by The Institute of Leadership, at the Leadership Live 2026 Conference and Awards. Developed by Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet and delivered in partnership with Genos Europe, NOVA pairs human-centred leadership development with the strategic technology and AI capability now expected of senior leaders.

Why NOVA matters

Women hold just 14% of senior technical and engineering roles in Ireland, as Una Fitzpatrick, Director of Technology Ireland, noted at the graduation of NOVA's first cohort in July. Across the sector, women are already leading innovation, shaping culture and driving progress. Too often, their potential goes unseen, not because it's lacking but because it's unsupported.

NOVA is built to change that. It identifies capable women already succeeding in their roles and equips them to lead at the pace AI now demands.

What the programme involves

NOVA is designed to fit around demanding roles, with 3 full in-person days, 3 virtual half-days and 2 one-to-one coaching sessions. The programme covers strategic thinking, future technologies, emotional intelligence, AI-enabled decision-making, high-impact communication and personal leadership identity.

Along the way, participants complete an EI leadership assessment with coaching and draw on digital resources to support their learning. The programme ends with a capstone presentation to their senior leadership team, showing how their leadership has grown.

Graduates leave ready to lead with clarity and purpose, own their voice, sharpen their presence and influence, thrive under pressure and build high-performing teams. As Annika Paul, Partner Solution Sales Manager at Microsoft and a graduate of the first cohort, put it: "It gave me more than I expected."

NOVA is an Institute of Leadership Approved programme, and participants receive a certificate from The Institute of Leadership.

Programme details

• Dates: 24 November 2026 to 11 March 2027
• Format: 3 full in-person days, 3 virtual half-days and 2 coaching sessions
• Places: maximum 20
• Fee: €1,500 with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet subsidy, for eligible applicants

NOVA can also be delivered in-house for an organisation's own women leaders. Contact Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet to find out more.

Find out more and apply