The role of women in transfer and innovation

In Catalonia, the number of female researchers in 2023 was 21,301; this represents 41.7% of the total, well above the European average (34.3%). And, although only one in four engineering students is a woman, they already account for one in three theses defended in the field.

In terms of employment, more than half of female researchers in Catalonia work in the higher education sector and, as for the business sector, the growing incorporation of women researchers in recent years stands out, with an increase of 21%. Not only that, but female research is marked by excellence: female researchers led more than a third of Catalan projects awarded ERC grants during the 2021–2024 period, particularly in Starting Grants; a sign of how vocational campaigns and efforts to increase female presence are bearing fruit.

However, not everything is positive. The analysed reports highlight the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon, where women enter the workforce in large numbers but leave or are not promoted to the same level as men. The correction and redirection of these leaks must therefore be one of the objectives for the entire continent. 

If we look at the figures, Spain is at the forefront of women inventors, with 24.7% between 2018 and 2022, second only to Portugal. It also stands out with a 40.3% share of Industrial Property Agents, well above the European average of 29.2%. And it even tops the list of women founders of start-ups with European patent applications, at 19.2% compared to the average of 13.5%.

Despite Spain's relative leadership, underrepresentation is persistent: women make up just 29.2% of in-house staff engaged in innovative activities in companies in 2024, with very slight progress (28.2% in 2020 and 28.8% in 2022), and the gender gap remains stable regardless of company size and sector.

Therefore, focusing solely on the positions can be misleading. The pace of improvement on the continent is very slow; since 2019, the European average has achieved an increase of only 0.8%. Much more effort is still needed, as pointed out by EPO President António Campinos, as the study highlights the persistent obstacles that still limit progress.

It is when we delve into the analysis of the leap from research to applied innovation that we begin to see the system faltering. Only a quarter of patent applicants to the OEPM in 2025 were women, and in just 31% of applications did at least one woman inventor appear.

The figures on women inventors' leadership show growth despite underrepresentation (from 35.5% to 42.6%), but there remains room for growth, particularly in the fields of physical and materials technologies.

Companies co-founded by women face greater difficulties in scaling, with a lower proportion of start-ups in later funding rounds. In Catalonia, 23% of founding teams already include women, above the European average, with annual increases of one percentage point between 2023 and 2025.

When we talk about women beneficiaries of public innovation and transfer grants, the Ministry's report provides a key insight: the leaks in the pipeline begin long before project evaluation. In fact, success rates for men and women are comparable, but women apply less often. They cite lower expectations of success, a lack of technical support and the perception that calls for proposals are driven by male logic.

In knowledge transfer from university to business — contracts, patents, spin-offs — female involvement is significantly lower: 17.8% compared to 21.9% for men. And the leadership of competitive projects remains in male hands: 61% of principal investigators in competitive research are men; in contract research, the figure is 67%. In corporate leadership positions, the boards of the IBEX-35 are approaching 40% women, but the chairmanship remains an exception. And in certified innovative SMEs, only 15% of legal representatives are women.

All the data presented suggest that the more power is concentrated and hierarchical, the less female presence we find. But the positive side is that the more governance is collegiate and horizontal, the more female representation there is.

The female entrepreneurial activity rate in Catalonia has risen to exceed the averages of both the Spanish state and the European Union; a sign, then, that when conditions are favourable, women entrepreneurs can flourish. In this sense, equality policies help to advance formal measures, but they have yet to transform the underlying structures that sustain inequalities.

The report Women and Innovation 2026 reflects on how the traditional dimension of innovation is that which involves product innovation. Women, however, tend to participate much more in social innovation projects (participatory processes, service improvements, organisation, accessibility), up to 72.6%. It therefore seems logical to think that if we broaden the definition to include all processes with a social and public dimension, the social sciences and humanities fall within analytical frameworks that make visible contributions hitherto relegated to the background.

Expanding the concept of innovation is much more than a conceptual matter. Ultimately, it allows us to recognise the work of both women and the areas in which they participate, and to enrich the innovation system itself.

The road to equality in the fields of innovation and transfer is very long and, although the figures say we are on the right track, they also indicate that we are moving very slowly.

The foundations are improving: more female researchers, more female PhDs, more female start-up founders.  But the gender gap remains intact in access to funding, leadership, decision-making processes and positions of responsibility. Broadening the definition of innovation to include social innovation is also key to understanding both female invisibility and the innovation dimension in other fields. However, this must not diminish efforts in product innovation.

It is therefore important not to end the article on a pessimistic note but on one of demand. Advances exist; when there are clear policies and accessible criteria, female talent thrives. Therefore, this must become the norm.