18 February, 2025Fagor Automation, a company with over four decades of experience in the industrial sector, has achieved nearly 40% female employment, significantly surpassing the industry average. The company is one of nearly 500 businesses that participated in the Impact of Women on Industrial Competitiveness study, conducted by Grupo SPRI in 2023.
Data from the study shows that Fagor Automation employs 37.6% women, compared to the 21.74% average among surveyed companies. Notably, the production and ICT departments have an almost equal gender distribution (40%-60%), an uncommon scenario in the sector, as only 11% of surveyed companies achieve this level of equality in production and just 7% in ICT. This higher representation of women is partly due to the nature of Fagor Automation’s production, which focuses on manufacturing small components that require a high degree of manual dexterity, facilitating the inclusion of women on the production floor.
Despite these advances, the company acknowledges the challenges in recruiting women for certain roles. In engineering, 35% of the team is female, whereas in R&D, the figure stands at 25%. In contrast, 100% of commercial managers are men, while other departments, such as Administration and Human Resources, are predominantly female, with 60% and 100% women, respectively. To address this imbalance and encourage female participation across all levels, Fagor Automation collaborates with institutions such as ALECOP, Mondragon University, and the University of the Basque Country (UPV), integrating women from the early stages of their education.
The company’s commitment to gender equality has been evident throughout its history. In fact, Fagor Automation’s first president was a woman, and the current vice president is also female. The company has implemented notable work-life balance policies, including remote working, flexible hours, and continuous work shifts, making it easier for employees to balance professional and personal responsibilities. Gender equality is also reflected in the company’s governing bodies, with both the Governing Council and Social Council maintaining gender parity. However, within the Management Board, women account for only 20% of members.
Although Fagor Automation’s first Equality Plan was implemented in response to legal requirements, it has had a significant impact. The establishment of the Equality Committee has helped structure and enhance initiatives aimed at increasing the visibility of women within the company and promoting their professional development. Among the key initiatives are awareness campaigns and programmes designed to encourage young women to consider careers in industry. One example is the collaboration with Ikastola Arizmendi, where the company organises open days for 16-year-old girls, introducing them to female role models within the cooperative.
Fagor Automation recognises that there is still progress to be made and that change must begin with education, challenging traditional gender stereotypes and improving the perception of industry as an attractive career path for women. The company also highlights the importance of sharing best practices among businesses to advance gender equality collectively. In its own words, “Diverse and complementary teams perform better and strengthen business competitiveness. We cannot afford to overlook 50% of the available talent.”
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