Stem

Growing female inventors in Italia, Milan fourth in Europe

The European Patent Office Epo study shared ahead of International Women's Day.

by Letizia Giostra

3 March 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The data

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Female inventors are on the rise in Italia. The number of women patenting in Stem fields is 14.7%, one percentage point higher than the European average. The city leading the movement is Milan, which ranks seventh in Europe, but the gap between the number of women graduates in technical-scientific disciplines, almost 40%, and those who patent or found start-ups remains considerable.

This is the picture framing the phenomenon that emerged from the European Patent Office's Epo study, published in anticipation of International Women's Day.

"We have recorded an increase, albeit small, in the share of women inventors in Stem subjects in Italia, rising to 14.7 per cent from 13.8 per cent in 2017, and exceeding the European average, which is 13.8 per cent," says Roberta Romano Götsch, chief sustainability officer at Epo.

The numbers are based on data for the period 2018-2022 - compared with those for 2013-2017 - and turn the spotlight on the role of women in the innovation chain made evident, for example, by the analysis of start-ups filing Epo patents where only 10% include at least one woman among the founders: in fact, each female founder corresponds to about nine men in the same role.

The data

However, Italia performs better than the European average, ranking fourth in Europe with 12.5% of women startup founders and European patent applicants, after Spain (19.2%), Portugal (15.7%) and Ireland (14.8%). In general, 17% of start-ups founded by a team in Italia include at least one female promoter. But female representation tends to decrease in the more advanced stages of funding.

Dyeing Italian female innovation pink is Milan, which in the last decade has recorded a clear improvement in the rate of female inventors, from 16.1% to 19.1% in 2018-2022, and a value +4.4% higher than the national average (14.7%). As far as universities are concerned, the percentage of Italian female graduates in Stem disciplines stands at 39.3% in 2023, ranking 13th in Europe.

"The growth in these numbers are very good signs; yet, it is clear that there is a considerable gap," emphasised Romano Götsch. 'A very interesting figure,' he concluded, 'comes from scientific publications where we can see substantial gender parity. But in the next step, i.e. in becoming female inventors, we miss out on a lot. The question then arises: how come women do not go on to patent?".