The number of women inventors is growing, but still not ideal

Women’s participation in US patents increased from about 7% in the 1980s to 21% in 2016, according to the Progress and Potential: A profile of women inventors on US patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) . The study, conducted in collaboration with research teams from the University of Bordeaux (France) and Bocconi University, Milan (Italy), revealed that “women inventors” represent only 12% of total registered patents in 2016. Another conclusion was the expressive female presence in patents focused on the areas of science and engineering.