University academic wins national Women in Tech award for work supporting women entrepreneurs

A University of Wolverhampton academic has received a prestigious national award for her work using digital technology and artificial intelligence to support women entrepreneurs affected by the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye.

Professor Roya Rahimi was named winner of the Tech For Good Award at the seventh National Women in Tech Awards 2026, held at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre on Saturday 3 October.

The award recognises her work through the British Council-funded ELEVATE project, which is supporting women entrepreneurs affected by the earthquake to use digital technologies and AI to develop their skills, strengthen and rebuild their businesses, and improve their longer-term economic resilience.

Professor Rahimi said: ““I am truly honoured to receive this national recognition. I believe the real value of technology is measured not by how advanced it becomes, but by how much it improves people's lives. Technology should empower people, create opportunities and drive meaningful, lasting change.”

The National Women in Tech Awards celebrate female talent, innovation and leadership across the UK technology sector. This year, 148 finalists were recognised across 17 categories, representing fields including academia, artificial intelligence, cyber security, entrepreneurship, digital transformation and technology innovation.

Seventeen winners were selected following an independent judging process, with Professor Rahimi representing the University of Wolverhampton as winner of the Tech For Good category.

Now in their seventh year, the awards aim to increase the visibility of women working in technology and highlight role models from across the industry. The 2026 event was held under the theme #WomenShapingTech and brought together finalists, business leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and technology professionals from across the country.