Women To Watch At GITEX Global 2021: Yong Hua Lin, founder and CEO, V-Origin Technology In her current role at V-Origin Technology, Lin is figuring out how AI can be used to transform traditional industries like agriculture and manufacturing.

Besides showcasing how technology is redefining the way we live and work, GITEX Global 2021, which will be held in-person on October 17-21, 2021 at Dubai World Trade Centre, will shed light on the revolutionary role of female tech entrepreneurs in building the future. We take a closer look at some of the women in tech taking centerstage at the show- make sure to keep an eye out for them at GITEX Global!

Before founding V-Origin Technology in 2019, Yong Hua Lin was director of IBM Research China, where she worked for 16 years and was also appointed as an IBM Distinguished Engineer to lead global artificial intelligence (AI) system innovation.

Her industry accolades include being recognized by Analytics Insight Magazine as one of the 10 most influential women in technology in 2021, and also being elected as one of 50 science and technology women leaders in China in 2019. Starting her career at IBM, a company that champions inclusivity and diversity, has shielded her from the usual challenges of women working in the tech field, Lin says. "I experienced lots of policies which strongly support the women working in tech," she says. "Around 20 years ago, IBM deployed the global strategy requiring technical managers to reach the 30% female hiring and included it into management KPI. That is one example of how this tech giant opens as much as possible job opportunities to women in tech."

Founding the IEEE Women in Engineering Beijing affinity group in 2018 was thus a consequence of Lin's desire to drive diversity in the field of science and technology in China and beyond. In the meantime, in her current role at V-Origin Technology, Lin is figuring out how AI can be used to transform traditional industries like agriculture and manufacturing. "Nowadays, there are much fewer young people willing to work in factories," Lin notes. "And this trend triggers two questions we want to solve utilizing AI innovation: can AI be applied to build smart machines which can totally release human from traditional factories, and can machine be trained to learn experience from experienced workers."

It's topics like these that Lin hopes to explore at GITEX 2021, and she's also expecting to learn a lot from the event as well. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made lots of changes for our lives, our work, and our businesses from all over the world," she says. "I believe there will be new tech trends towards these challenges, which I really expect to learn at this year's event."

Yong will speak in the Telecom + 5G track on 19th October.

Related: Women To Watch At GITEX Global 2021: Dr. Sara Al Madani, Serial Entrepreneur