Austria’s innovation landscape from equal opportunities’ perspective: The hidden half

Abstract

Austria, known as one of the European Union's front-runners in this field, has an innovative and robust R&D division, strong support from the government, and a rising number of start-ups. However, despite the progress made, gender imbalance still exists in the area of innovation, which is one of the major obstacles to realizing the full potential of Austria's technological and scientific advancements. The study illustrates the intersection of gender balance and innovation, stressing on the roadblocks women in Austria face in climbing to leadership positions, access to finance, and creating professional networks within the national ecosystem.According to the study, although women make a substantial contribution to Austria's innovation field, they are still not well represented in the decision-making process due to discrimination and lack of networking connections which are symptoms of the traditional gender roles in the society.Women-led professional networks, training programs, and communities that are open to all are the answer to fill these holes. The initiatives, which place the empowerment and inclusion of women first, rather than male exclusivity, are suggested as a one of the solutions to the problem of current women underrepresentation. The study has demonstrated that these associations are the key to create a solid and sustainable environment where women gain the possibility to gain visibility and recognition, get financial help, and access the leading positions.