Background Information

Background information on female academic entrepreneurship in Switzerland and internationally

Female scientists are much less likely to commercialize or entrepreneurially exploit their research results than their male counterparts. The gender gap in the number of patents, licenses, and spin-offs achieved from R&D at universities is significant in Switzerland and abroad. As research points out the challenges for female academic entrepreneurship at universities are manifold:

Female scientist at universities…

  • lack specific support in entrepreneurship education, mentoring and coaching
  • lack role models for spin-off activities and social support from superiors in the creation of spin-offs
  • lack scientific and entrepreneurial networks as well as funding relationships with investors and industry
  • lack participation in decision-making bodies on research & innovation in politics, business and KTT
  • shoulder the greatest part of responsibility for children and the household

Further reading

  • Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) (2021). Forschung und Entwicklung in der Schweiz 2019, Bern
  • European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (2021), She figures 2021 : gender in research and innovation:statistics and indicators, Publications Office https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/06090
  • Liebig, B. & Schneider, N. (2019): To whom it may concern? Gründungsförderung und Gleichstellung an Schweizer Fachhochschulen, in: Zeitschrift für Geschlecht, Kultur und Gesellschaft, 3, 100-115 https://doi.org/10.3224/gender.v11i3.07
  • SBFI (2021). Wissens- und Technologietransfer: Beschleunigung der Wissensnutzung aus der Forschung im Start-up-Ökosystem, Bericht des Staatssekretariats für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation, Bern
  • Schneider, N., Blaese, R. and Liebig, B. (2021) “Conditions for spin-off creation at Swiss universities of applied sciences – a gender sensitive approach”, in: International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 13(4), 373 – 393, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-07-2020-0099
  • Schubert, R., Yousoussefzadeh, M. & Staubli, F. (2018). Gender Monitoring 2018/19: Bericht zur Situation der Gleichstellung von Fon Frauen und Männern, Zürich
  • Sinell, A., Müller-Wieland, R., & Muschner, A. 2018. Gender-Specific Constraints on Academic Entrepreneurship and Engagement in Knowledge and Technology Transfer, in: Technology Innovation Management Review, 8, 2, 15-26 http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1136
×