Mapping the Inventor Gender Gap: Analyzing Regional & Organization Variation in the Inclusivity of the Innovation Economy

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project examines the gender gap among US inventors by mapping the patenting activity of female versus male inventors (FIs vs MIs) across regions (cities, economic areas, states), sectors, and types of organizations. It is critical to understand these patterns to explain the very low presence of female inventors in today's innovation economy. This problem holds significant implications for the inclusive growth of economies. To better understand the gap, this project examines the differences in the regional context where female and male inventors operate. While prior work has explored the role of location (e.g. agglomerations of firms) on innovation, little is known about the role of location on gender-based inventor activity. The goal of this project is to fill this hole by examining key questions such as: Where are female inventors located? What locations and fields have a higher relative presence of FIs (i.e., higher inclusivity)? Within given regions what types of organizations are more inclusive? Do regional industry clusters support higher rates of FIs? How do female versus male inventors source knowledge inside their organizations and in the external environment? To answer these questions, the research develops new indicators on the geography of inventors and their patents by gender. The mapping of inventors is extended to European Union countries to aid comparability in FI inclusivity across countries, and inform policies to promote gender equality. The project also develops an inventor mapping tool that provides interactive maps and visualizations that help policy makers, firms, and researchers to understand variation across regions in the participation and performance of inventors by gender. In this way, this project can inform the design of policy initiatives (e.g., programs to mobilize inventors) to influence locational attributes and firm practices that could reduce the inventor gender gap and, ultimately, reduce the inefficiencies in the match between science and technology skills and innovation. To address our core questions regarding the gender gap, this project develops new statistics on female inventor inclusivity (e.g., percent of inventors that are women and the percent of patents attributed to women) at the organization, field (industry cluster and technology class), and regional levels since 2000 onwards. These inclusivity indicators, together with data on STEM education and occupations, will identify what locational and organizational attributes are associated with female participation. Beyond detailed descriptive analysis and visualizations, the new data is used to assess a variety of explanations for the gender gap in patenting. First, women are not selecting STEM-based skills that are compatible with participation in patenting. Two, women in STEM are under-represented in patent-intensive fields and organizations. Third, women are more geographically constrained than men (e.g., due to lower income or family obligations), and so, they could benefit specially from being in locations and organizations where is easier to access knowledge and collaborate with nearby inventors. Overall, this work offers important policy and managerial advice to improve the inclusivity and performance of the innovation economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.