“Women Lead in Biotech, Pharma and Chemistry Patent Applications: WIPO Report”
Women Inventors Lead in Biotech, Pharma and Chemistry Patents, WIPO Data Shows
According to new figures released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), women inventors are leading the way in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry in terms of international patent applications. The data, released in conjunction with World IP Day 2018, shows that women were named in 31 percent of the 243,500 international patent applications published by WIPO in 2017, a significant increase from 23 percent a decade ago.
Gender Gap in Patent Applications Still Exists
Despite the encouraging figures, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry highlighted that a gender gap still exists in patent applications. “International patent applications are an important benchmark for measuring innovative activity in the contemporary, global economy – and anything less than full parity between men and women is an obvious cause for concern,” said Mr. Gurry.
However, he also noted that the data shows positive trends, particularly in the research-intensive areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry where women inventors are making significant contributions.
Women Inventors by Country
The data also revealed that the Republic of Korea had the highest percentage of patent applications listing at least one woman inventor, at 50 percent. This was followed by China (48 percent), Belgium (36 percent), Spain (35 percent), and the United States (33 percent).
Women Inventors in Corporations and Academic Institutions
Among the top 30 biggest corporate users of the WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Republic of Korea’s LG Chemicals had the highest rate of women listed as inventors with 73 percent. This was followed by Switzerland’s F. Hoffman –La Roche (69 percent), L’Oreal of France (67 percent), USA’s Dow Global Technologies (63 percent), and Germany’s Henkel Kommanditgesellchaft Auf Aktien with 62 percent.
In academic institutions, Republic of Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of Korea ranked first with 83.3 percent, followed closely by four Chinese organizations: Shenzhen Institute of Advance Technology (82.7 percent), Jiangnan University (82.5 percent), Tsinghua University (80 percent) and Jiangsu University (80 percent).
About World IP Day
World IP Day was initiated by WIPO’s member states in 2000 to raise public awareness about the role of IP in daily life, and to celebrate the contribution made by innovators and creators to the development of societies across the globe. It is celebrated annually on April 26, the date on which the Convention establishing WIPO entered into force in 1970.
About WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere. WIPO provides services that enable creators, innovators and entrepreneurs to protect and promote their intellectual property (IP) across borders and acts as a forum for addressing cutting-edge IP issues. Its IP data and information guide decision-makers the world over, and its impact-driven projects and technical assistance ensure IP benefits everyone, everywhere.
For more information, please contact the News and Media Division at WIPO:
Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 / 338 72 24
E-mail: [email protected]