The technology sector may be hailed as the industry of Australia's future, but it is still very much a man's world, according to a new study.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull singled out technology and innovation as key fields that would be the focus of his leadership.

However, globally and in Australia, the industry still struggles to attract and retain women, who make up just a quarter of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workforce, with many leaving mid-career.

A report by a Darwin-based researcher identified the main reasons women were underrepresented in the industry.

Dr Susan Bandias from Charles Darwin University conducted a survey of over 2,000 women, and found women in the industry faced a lack of options for career progression, mentoring and support in the workplace, and role models.

Poor work-life balance, caring responsibilities outside of work and a large gender pay gap were also key factors in their decision to leave the industry, or stay out of it altogether.

"I think across the board in Australia, the gender pay gap is about 17.2 per cent, but in the ICT sector its up around 20 per cent," Dr Bandias said.

Dr Bandias said stereotypes played a part in discouraging young women from studying computing sciences.

The problem starts in classrooms and university lecture theatres.

"We might have a room of nearly 200 young men and only four young women," Dr Bandias said.

Ms Ellen said that extended into the workplace.

"Often I might go to a meeting and there'll still be two women out of 15, the rest obviously blokes," she said.

Dr Bandias's research will be presented at the Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference in Japan in November.

Changes coming: Darwin start-up hub founder

In the centre of Darwin, female entrepreneurs meet at a start-up hub to discuss ideas.

The hub's founder and a software business owner, Jude Ellen, said the industry was undergoing a major shift.

"I think it's still a man's world, but it depends how you look at it, because I do see changes coming," she said.

Entrepreneurs Sarah Price and Roopali Misra agreed.

"It is very much a male dominated industry," said Ms Price, who founded Darwin's Territory Made markets.

But she admitted she viewed the lack of women as more of a challenge rather than an obstacle.

Ms Misra agreed that there continued to be the unfair assumption that women were not as "tech-savvy".

"But things are changing," she said.