Well, as for measurement it interesting that it is now called the NESTA Index! While I am all for improving existing systems I remain of the view that this is a distraction.

As for setting a new tone in Government policy I think this is just plain wrong. Where are the real measurable actions that will improve UK GDP in the next three years? How can you sensibly separate out Innovation (DIUS) from Business (BERR)? When will we redirect the R&D tax credit money into something more productive? When will we stop flogging the SBRI horse and recognise that it will never match the US SBIR scheme unless radically changed? …. I could go on…….

We offer an example of the ways technology impacts on women and men differently, from Germany, based on presentations and personal communications with M. Schraudner about Gender Aspects in Research - A Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (Discover Gender).

This research programme asked if gender could be a success factor for research and innovations. It showed how the demographics mean that market users overall are becoming older, more female and more international. It reviewed a number of innovations – services and products (including: individual medicine, mobile phones, care robot, voice recognition system, heart attack, camera, software design, specialist trolley, Atomic Ski, airbag, cake mixes, pregnant dummy).
The research analysed how some innovations pay more attention to gender than others. It argued that failure to attend to gender issues sometimes led to problems with the products or a failure to identify issues that impact on women. As a result there were failures in the effectiveness of the technologies or theories.
The research promoted the importance of considering gender and diversity but avoiding stereotyping. A good understanding gender differences and similarities is needed, which recognises that these differences can be socially constructed.

The German research proposes that:

• gender can be a driver for the adaptation of existing products and services for new users;

• gender can provide a focus for the development of new technological developments

• gender can be used in the identification of contexts of use of technology and used within product and services development

• A growing interest in a gender analysis in mainstream research includes attention by several German universities relating to the ELITE Program

More information in our original submission for Innovation Nation on our website.

The new Concordat for the Career Management of Researchers also provides an effective tool to support good practice in the management of early career stage researchers.

Women as a group have atypical career paths but can still achieve excellence in science research. However, research value and scientific excellence should be judged by an appropriate range of skills and factors, including science communication and public engagement (sometimes strengths women have), alongside traditional definitions of excellence. This is particularly relevant to innovation potential.