Number of female inventors on the rise, according to research

The number of female inventors is on the rise, with an increase of 60% worldwide since 2000, according to research from the Intellectual Property Office.

The research showed that the number of female inventors in the UK has risen by 16% over the past ten years, with Taylor Wessing’s Global Intellectual Property Index recently naming the UK as the best place in the world to patent.

Low

However, despite the research showing an increase in female inventorship, the number of female inventors was still found to be low. Just 6.8% of all inventors in the UK in 2000 were female, increasing to 11.5% in 2015.

The research also revealed the locations that have the highest number of female inventors, with Russia and France being found to have the most at 15.7% and 11.7% respectively. Germany was found to have a low number of female inventors at 5.5%, followed by Japan at 3.7%.

The fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals were found to have the most female inventors, whilst the mechanical engineering field was found to have the lowest proportion of female entrepreneurs.

Promising

Minister for Energy and Intellectual Property Baroness Neville Rolfe commented: “It is very promising that women are increasingly bringing their innovative ideas to life, and we are providing more talented women around the country with the funding opportunities they need to develop their business ideas and help to build an economy that works for all.”