Engineering news
The gender gap in worldwide patenting, while substantial, is decreasing, according to Intellectual Property Office analysis of patent applications.
Since 2000 there has been a 60% increase in the proportion of female inventors worldwide. In 2000 only 7% of all inventors worldwide were female, in 2015 this rose to 12%.
In the UK female inventorship has risen by 16% in the past 10 years, and the UK has recently been ranked best place to patent in the world in Taylor Wessing’s Global Intellectual Property Index.
Data drawn from more than 234 years’ worth of patent applications has revealed that the proportion of female inventors varies by country. Russia (16%) and France (12%) have the highest proportion of female inventors, while countries such as Germany (6%) and Japan (4%) have some of the lowest. In Britain the proportion of female inventors is 7%.
The highest proportion of female inventors are in chemistry fields such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, while the lowest proportion of female inventorship is seen in mechanical engineering.
The research also notes that patent applications often involve a team of inventors and that women are increasingly involved in such teams. In 2014 over 25% of worldwide patent applications involved at least one female inventor.
This week the government will announce £750,000 funding for 15 female inventors. Each will receive £50,000 as part of Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation award, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Dr. Ruth McKernan, chief executive of Innovate UK, said: “Recent analysis indicates that only 14% of applicants to Innovate UK competitions are women. We are seeking to redress this balance via our ‘InFocus Campaign’ which celebrates, supports and enables women through a package of business support, plus a £50,000 individual grant to develop their innovations.
“There are so many talented women with great business ideas. The UK economy would be improved by a better gender balance in our entrepreneurs and business leaders,” she added.