Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policies and Gender Equity
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policies and Gender Equity

Summary/Abstract: Background. Gender inequality hinders economic growth by lowering the pool of potential talents for production, through distorted access of one gender to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and creation of innovation. Research on policies on entrepreneurship, innovation and gender is of great importance for deciding on the best policy mix to diminish losses of welfare due to gender inequality. Research aims. The aim of this paper is to examine how the policies towards innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe address the issue of gender equality. The question we put is whether entrepreneurship-targeting and innovation-targeting policies are gender-oriented, gender-neutral, or gender-indirect-discriminating. Methodology. Our focus is on the intersection of the areas of innovations, entrepreneurship, and gender. We analyse models of innovation systems: National Innovation Systems, Tripple Helix, and Quadruple Helix Models and discuss if they address gender equality in innovations.Key findings. We claim that a gender perspective is missing in policies towards innovation and entrepreneurship. Innovation policies in Europe target mostly male-dominated industries. The paper concludes that science-based policies on entrepreneurship and innovation should incorporate gender equality as their structural feature.

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