The EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology publishes today, 3 March 2026, a new Study on Women in STEM, highlighting the slow progress and the gaps in inventive activity, deep-tech entrepreneurship, patent-related professions, and the career paths of PhD holders.
The study, published ahead of International Women’s Day, provides evidence-based pan-European data to support the EU Gender Equality Strategy, the objectives of the European Research Area, and Europe’s ambition to strengthen its technological sovereignty within the framework of the New European Innovation Agenda.
Fewer than 1 in 10 founders of startups in cutting-edge technology sectors are women.
In summary:
- The EPO study shows an increasing number of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), but they remain a minority among inventors, founders of patent-holding startups, and professionals specializing in patents (certified patent attorneys).
- The gender gap widens at every career stage, despite evidence showing similar inventive potential among women in research.
- The rate of women’s participation varies significantly by country and by technological sector.
More information here.
