Innovation is not neutral. Who creates it, whose perspectives are considered, and who benefits — these elements all shape whether research and innovation processes and outcomes truly serve society. This is the starting point for inclusive gendered innovation (IGI): integrating sex, gender, and diversity analysis into every stage of research and innovation to produce more inclusive, impactful, and market-ready results that cater to broader segments of society. But embedding this approach across the R&I system doesn’t happen on its own — it requires targeted policy frameworks. That’s where Inclusive Gendered Innovation Policies (IGIPs) come in: these are strategies, regulations, and funding mechanisms that research funders use to promote gender-responsive research content, inclusive innovation practices, and institutional change.
INSPIRE, is at the forefront of studying this shift. Through case studies, support packages, and collaboration with research funders and companies, INSPIRE is exploring how we can turn this policy ambition into practice.
Gendered Innovation in Action: The FEMtech Experience
One of INSPIRE’s case studies focuses on the FEMtech Research Projects in Austria — a pioneering funding line by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) that was designed to integrate gender and diversity perspectives into applied research and innovation projects.
What makes FRP stand out? It goes beyond gender balance and team diversity by requiring applicants to embed gender and diversity perspectives directly into research content and innovation design. Whether in user interaction, data analysis, or product functionality — the inclusive gender dimension was not optional. It was a formal eligibility criterion.
Between 2008 and 2023, FEMtech funded dozens of projects in sectors ranging from mobility and energy to healthcare and digital technologies, showing a broad range of possible application areas. Project consortia, which comprised industry partners, research institutions, and gender experts, reported:
- Broader user engagement and diversified product development
- Diversified innovation methods that challenge default assumptions
- New knowledge and tools to address gender-specific needs
- Greater market relevance and potential for reaching new user groups
- Increased gender competence and awareness within companies and consortia
- Strengthened collaboration between technical and social sciences
Importantly, FRP also revealed key challenges — including the need for clearer definitions and guidelines on integrating gender and diversity dimensions, better training, and ongoing support to ensure that gender isn’t reduced to a tick-box exercise but is meaningfully integrated throughout the project lifecycle.
A Toolkit for Change: Support Package 5
To support the wider implementation of Inclusive Gendered Innovation Policies (IGIP), INSPIRE is currently developing Support Package 5 (SPKg 5) — a practical guide for Research Funding Organisations (RFOs), evaluators, and other R&I stakeholders.
Building on lessons from funding programmes such as FEMtech, Horizon Europe, and Vinnova’s call on norm-critical innovation, SPKg 5 will offer:
- Clear definitions and core concepts (e.g. Inclusive Gendered Innovation and Inclusive Gendered Innovation Policy)
- Structured checklists to assess when IGI is relevant and how to implement it
- Guidance for designing funding calls with built-in IGI criteria and expectations
- Templates and evaluation criteria for assessing IGI in proposals
- Support resources for applicants to develop gender-sensitive research designs and methodologies
- Field-tested examples and case studies from applied innovation contexts
Whether you’re designing a funding programme or preparing a proposal, SPKg 5 supports the systematic and effective integration of inclusive gendered analysis across the research and innovation cycle.
Our case studies and SPKg 5 demonstrate that inclusive gendered innovation is both necessary and achievable — but it requires sustained commitment, capacity building, and supportive policy frameworks.
As INSPIRE continues its work, the message is clear: if innovation is to meet real-world needs and deliver real impact, it must reflect the diversity of the contexts in which it is developed and applied. Gendered innovation is not a niche concern — it is central to better, fair, and truly inclusive science and technology.
Here you can access our D2.1 report, where we developed our concept of Inclusive Gendered Innovation Policies (IGIP).
By: David Walker, Scientist, Joanneum Research
