At 30.6%, Latvia has the highest proportion of female inventors among European Patent Office (EPO) member countries. Only 13.2% of patent applications filed by European inventors are filed by women. In Europe, the proportion of female inventors is lower than in South Korea (28.3%), China (26.8%), and the USA (15%).
The share of female inventors is also high in Portugal (26.8%), Croatia (25.8%), Spain (23.2%), and Lithuania (21.4%), according to the Women in Inventing study. Germany (10.0%), Luxembourg (10.0%), Liechtenstein (9.6%), and Austria (8.0%) have the lowest rates.
EPO President António Campinos said the study provides new insights into women’s contribution to technological innovation and the gaps that need to be addressed to better realise the potential of women inventors in Europe.
