Brussels, 08/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - In a speech made in Budapest during a conference on Women in Science, Innovation and Technology in the Digital Age and as part of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes expressed her concern about the under-representation of women in key posts in major companies operating in the new technology sector. According to the European Commission, the ICT sector will suffer from a shortage of 700,000 skilled employees by 2015, mainly due to the under-representation of qualified women working in scientific branches. Kroes said that it was necessary to go to the root of the problem and look at the educational programmes, in an effort to avoid creating an imbalance between boys and girls in their subject choices from the outset. The commissioner declared that “there should be no question of having a semi-digital Europe. There is no place for macho stupidity in our digital future. As long as the sector as a whole does not understand this and fails to respond, we are in danger of experiencing a massive shortage of qualified people, which will slow Europe down”. (I.L./transl.fl)