Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Unpacking the Innovator–Inventor Gap: Evidence from Engineers

Lead Researchers:

Colleen Chien
UC Berkeley

Jillian Grennan
Emory University

Research Overview

This project explores the “innovator–inventor gap”, the drop-off between engineers in the workplace and the ideas of these engineers becoming patented inventions. The study focuses on women and underrepresented engineers, examining how management practices, organizational culture, and review processes shape who advances from innovator to inventor.

Core Research Questions:

What explains the innovator–inventor gap within firms?

What happens before a patent is even filed?
How do culture, leadership, and review systems determine who becomes an inventor?

Methodology

To uncover the hidden steps between idea creation and patent applications, the study combined:

Administrative data from four high-tech firms, covering over 69,000 ideas generated by
31,000 engineers.
Surveys of nearly 4,000 engineers, focusing on experiences with idea submission,
feedback, and workplace culture.
Interviews with patent professionals, providing insights into how invention ideas are
reviewed and advanced within firms.

Key Findings: Unpacking the Innovator–Inventor Gap: Evidence from Engineers
Drop-Off Across the Innovation Process Over half of engineers report having patentable ideas, but only one-third submit them, and only half of those submissions result in patent filings. Persistent Gender Gap Women are significantly less likely to participate at every stage, from receiving patent-related assignments to seeing their ideas patented. Management and Culture Matter Bias in project assignments, limited collaboration support, and weak communication structures disproportionately affect women and underrepresented engineers. Lost Potential When women’s ideas do make it to patents, their inventions are cited more often —evidence that high-quality innovations are being lost due to systemic barriers.

Key Findings: Unpacking the Innovator–Inventor Gap: Evidence from Engineers

Drop-Off Across the Innovation Process
Over half of engineers report having patentable ideas, but only one-third submit them, and only half of those submissions result in patent filings.
Persistent Gender Gap
Women are significantly less likely to participate at every stage, from receiving patent-related assignments to seeing their ideas patented.
Management and Culture Matter
Bias in project assignments, limited collaboration support, and weak communication structures disproportionately affect women and underrepresented engineers.
Lost Potential
When women’s ideas do make it to patents, their inventions are cited more often —evidence that high-quality innovations are being lost due to systemic barriers.

Future Implications:

For Companies: Transparent review processes, fairer project assignments, and stronger mentorship systems can help reduce the gap.
For Policymakers: Efforts to broaden participation in STEM should extend beyond recruitment and address how ideas are filtered within firms.
For Innovation: Closing this gap can strengthen fairness and inclusion while also improving the overall quality and competitiveness of technological progress.

Support from the Ciocca Center

This research was funded by the Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.