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Identifying the Gender of PCT inventors

Author

Listed:
  • Gema Lax Martínez

    (Economics and Statistics Division, World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.)

  • Julio Raffo

    (Economics and Statistics Division, World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.)

  • Kaori Saito

    (World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the gender of inventors in international patent applications. We compile a worldwide gender-name dictionary, which includes 6.2 million names for 182 different countries to disambiguate the gender of PCT inventors. Our results suggest that there is a gender imbalance in PCT applications, but the proportion of women inventors is improving over time. We also find that the rates of women participation differ substantially across countries, technological fields and sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Gema Lax Martínez & Julio Raffo & Kaori Saito, 2016. "Identifying the Gender of PCT inventors," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 33, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    • Handle: RePEc:wip:wpaper:33
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. repec:wip:wpaper:8 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Desai, Pranav, 2021. "Essays in corporate finance and innovation," Other publications TiSEM 1ef5fdc6-9c52-43df-be1a-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Ferrucci, Edoardo & Lissoni, Francesco, 2019. "Foreign inventors in Europe and the United States: Diversity and Patent Quality," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    3. Elodie Carpentier & Jennifer Brant & Utsav Bahl & Aikaterini Kanellia, 2024. "Closing Innovation and Intellectual Property Diversity Gaps: a Global Literature Review," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 86, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    4. Wuestman, Mignon & Wanzenböck, Iris & Frenken, Koen, 2023. "Local peer communities and future academic success of Ph.D. candidates," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    5. Edoardo FERRUCCI & Francesco LISSONI & Ernest MIGUELEZ, 2020. "Coming from afar and picking a man’s job:Women immigrant inventors in the United States," Bordeaux Economics Working Papers 2020-01, Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE).
    6. Domingo Sifontes & Rosa Morales, 2020. "Gender differences and patenting in Latin America: understanding female participation in commercial science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2009-2036, September.
    7. Jussi Heikkilä, 2019. "IPR gender gaps: a first look at utility model, design right and trademark filings," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 118(3), pages 869-883, March.
    8. Andreas Fridolin Buehler & Patrick Lehnert & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2024. "Gender Norms, Occupational Choices, and the Innovation Gender Gap," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0230, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
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    10. Wipo, 2016. "World Intellectual Property Indicators, 2016 edition," WIPO Economics & Statistics Series, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division, number 2016:941, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    patent gender gap; gender innovation metrics; patents; gender-name dictionary.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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