10/03/2022
As patent attorneys we deal with cutting edge technology on a daily basis, helping our clients realise the potential of their research and innovation as we follow the journey from initial concept to commercially viable application. In my 20 years in the profession, I have seen a steady increase in the number of female innovators involved in this process, but it’s very evident that gender gap remains. My personal experience is reflected by the World Intellectual Property Organization’s recently published statistics, which reported that only 16.5% of all inventors named on international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 2021 were women. At the current rate of increase, gender parity is not expected until 2058. See our recent blog on the subject here.
Since technology is shaped by the innovators behind it, having fewer women innovators means that progress of female focussed innovation is slower, and that important technology is being developed with a lack of female perspective. Take the male dominated field of AI, for example, where concerns have been raised about inherent bias arising from a lack of diversity among researchers and innovators. Or life sciences, where conditions that predominantly affect women are most likely to be addressed by female inventors.
I was delighted, therefore, to have the opportunity, along with colleagues Xiaoxi Zhu and Olivia Buckingham, to attend Innovate UK and Innovate UK KTN’s Women Innovate conference on International Women’s Day. The conference encourages women’s participation in innovation by celebrating successful women innovators and promoting discussion around achieving a more diverse and inclusive innovation culture in the UK. The event was filled with entertaining and thought provoking content. Our report of the day follows.
Meeting challenges with innovative solutions
Chaired by Alison Ettridge, CEO of Talent Intuition, this session brought together a panel of Women in Innovation Award holders to discuss a range of topics surrounding being a woman in innovation.
Joining the panel were Reedah El-Saie of Xplorealms, who is developing apps to educate our children by tapping into their love of gaming; Laura Pomfret of Financielle, a female-focused financial wellness platform; Winnie Awa of Carra, a technology platform that brings together expert advice and machine learning in the field of haircare; and Helen Xiaoqin Ma of ANTEAM, who has taken inspiration from her son’s interest in ants to address problems in logistics.
Hearing from women in such a diverse range of businesses made for a dynamic conversation. Topics covered included the challenges they face in growing and scaling their businesses, the societal challenges they are trying to address, and the challenges that come with being a female leader. With it being International Women’s Day, the discussion surrounding obstacles faced by female founders felt particularly important, with the panel highlighting, among others, imposter syndrome and the disproportionate amount of unpaid labour that women do as key issues.
Driving social innovation through empathy and inclusion
This session focused on the role that both empathy and inclusion play in innovation. The panel was made up of Design Thinking Consultant Nirish Shakya; Activate the City! Founder Karen Jelenje; and Corina Shika Kwami, a jazz musician and public health, climate and infrastructure expert.
A number of interesting points were raised by the panel, including the importance empathy in innovation, as innovation is really all about solving problems that happen to people. It was suggested that they should almost be viewed as ‘co-creators’ in the development of innovative solutions.
Much of the session focused on the idea of a ‘human-centred’ approach, however the panel did highlight the damage such an approach can have on the wider planet. For example, human centred design can often prioritise convenience, which often leads to the development of unsustainable solutions.
Allyship in innovation
In this session, four keynote speakers talked about the role of allyship in achieving a more inclusive, diverse innovation ecosystem that serves the needs of diverse groups.
Sophie Walker explained “allyship” as a way for people to support and collaborate with each other and make the world a better place; to promote inclusivity, and change the system to favour everybody rather than a certain group of people. Simon Thorpe, Chair of Cambridge Angels, discussed five key ways to support women in innovation from a perspective of a male ally, which are to sponsor, to mentor, to coach, to get women onto boards, and to invest and connect women. Tim Chapman, director at Arup, discussed the critical importance of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to the success of big companies, emphasizing Arup’s commitment to gender equality in the workplace.
The speakers also talked about the impact of allyship on innovation. Dr Arinola Araba discussed that, to be effective, allyship is not something to force on people, but should come from people who have been inspired to help. With the correct mindset, allyship can be a powerful tool for people who want to solve real world challenges and bring a long term effect. Sophie Walker stressed that allyship encourages people to solve big problems – such as climate change – together.
Intersectionality in the innovation ecosystem
This session gathered the views of EDI champions from different industries on what the future could hold for innovation if we consider the intersecting identities of those who innovate and those who benefit from innovation.
The keynote speakers firstly shared their own perspective on intersectionality. Dr. Mark McBride-Wright discussed the benefits of understanding more about under-represented groups, to show empathy, and to learn from each other, while Hardeep Rai discussed how intersectionality can bring new prospects for innovation and business. Jyoti Sehdev Ceng outlined an example, where a company who successfully developed an automatic soap dispenser received complaints because the dispenser did not work on black people – the detector failed to detect black skin which reflects less light. Solène Anglaret shared an example of a new type of straw that is made of bamboo, but which was found to exclude people with disabilities because it was not bendable. Both situations which would have been avoided with a more inclusive research team bringing their personal experience to bear on the project.
What came out of the discussion is that intersectionality can have big impact on the development of innovative products and services, making an inclusive approach, and a greater awareness of potential the barriers and challenges, critical to the success of innovation.
Embracing vulnerability to inspire
This discussion invited people to rethink the role of vulnerability in innovation and business. According to the speakers, Marie Van Herteryck, Kate Parkinson, Olajide Alabi and Michael Omotosho leading with vulnerability, and allowing space for vulnerability among team members promotes an environment in which people are able to speak up and share innovative ideas – which is an important aspect of a thriving innovation culture.
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
