DIVERSITY IN R&D: CLOSING THE GAP

40% OF WOMEN ARE LEAVING STEM — HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY RETAIN ITS FEMALE INNOVATORS?

- EMMANUELLE GÖTHELID, R&D MANAGER,SANDVIK COROMANT

WI-FI, GPS, COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND even the space station power system owe their invention to women. Despite this, most of society's most praised inventions include Alexander Bell's telephone, or Karl Benz's automobile, or Thomas Edison's electric light — female inventors rarely share the spotlight. In this article, Emmanuelle Göthelid, R&D Manager at the developer of metal cutting tools Sandvik Coromant, takes a look at why engineering still lacks female innovators and reflects on her own experience as a STEM innovator.

This year's International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated with a theme of inventors and innovators. The day celebrates the achievements of women who have shaped the engineering landscape we know today. But why do female engineers still not enjoy the same notoriety as many males?

One indicator that highlights the disparity between male and female inventors is the lack of female patent holders. Women inventors account for just under 13% of patent applications globally, according to a worldwide study by the UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO). That's one female inventor for every seven male ones. The research also found that more than two-thirds of all patents come from all-male teams or individual male inventors, while 23% come from mixed gender teams — and just 6% from individual female inventors. Although the proportion of female patent applicants is increasing, the IPO also predicts that gender ratios won't balance at the current rate until 2070.

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