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Unter dem Titel „WE! Vom Labor in den Mittelstand: Westfälische Erfinderinnen. Analyse der Potenziale und Sichtbarmachung innovativer Frauen in regionalen Innovationsökosystemen“ (kurz WE!) widmete sich ein interdisziplinäres Team aus Forschenden an der Westfälischen Hochschule von 2021-2024 der Erforschung und Sichtbarmachung innovativer Frauen: Forscherinnen, Gründerinnen, Spezialistinnen in der Wirtschaft und Initiatorinnen in sozialen Bereichen aus dem Münsterland und dem Ruhrgebiet. Damit lag dem Projekt WE! ein breiter Innovationsbegriff zugrunde, der Produkt- und Verfahrensinnovationen sowie auch Dienstleistungs- und soziale Innovationen berücksichtigte.
Mit der hier vorliegenden Toolbox stellen wir die Ergebnisse des dreijährigen, durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung geförderten, Forschungsprojektes „Westfälische Erfinderinnen“ vor. Das Hauptziel des Projektes umfasste dabei, in den Regionen Ruhrgebiet und Münsterland Innovatorinnen zu identifizieren und die regionalen Mechanismen der (Un-)Sichtbarkeit von Innovatorinnen zu untersuchen und zu verstehen. Aufbauend auf den gewonnenen Erkenntnissen wurden ausgewählte Innovatorinnen zielgerichtet mit unterschiedlichen Kommunikationswerkzeugen ins Licht der regionalen Öffentlichkeit gerückt, um so das gesellschaftliche Bewusstsein für die Vielfalt von Innovationsprozessen und die Rolle von Innovatorinnen zu stärken. Die hier vorliegende Toolbox soll Hochschulen und andere zentrale Akteur:innen in weiteren Regionen ermutigen und anleiten, ihre Innovatorinnen zu finden, zu unterstützen und weithin
sichtbar zu machen.
Shadows and spotlights: A postfeminist analysis of women innovators’ experiences with (in)visibility
(2025)
Contrary to the notion that innovation is a universally accessible and meritocratic endeavor, concerns persist over not only women innovators’ numerical underrepresentation but also their (in)visibility. Studying innovation as a social context structured by power, we focus on 18 women innovators in innovation-driving environments. While these women appear to symbolize gender equality and embody contemporary postfeminist ideals of individualism, choice, and empowerment, many have simultaneously experienced (in)visibility and navigated unequal power structures throughout their careers. We investigate how these (in)visibility experiences are reconciled with the promises of postfeminism, exploring how postfeminist ideals are interpreted and negotiated by them to make sense of their own (in)visibility. While (in)visibility has traditionally been theorized in relation to norms and gendered power structures, our findings reveal how postfeminist discourses reframe visibility as an individualized, moralized imperative rooted in self-responsibility. Through this lens, we identify four postfeminist sense-making approaches: meritocratic visibility (embodying postfeminist ideologies), retraditionalized visibility (conforming to femininity), self-disciplined visibility (adapting to gender inequality), and collective-oriented visibility (challenging the status quo). These sense-making approaches highlight the various ways in which postfeminist sensibilities shape subjective experiences, often masking structural inequalities and allowing these to persist in contexts that claim to promote equal opportunities, such as the innovation environment. We point to the need for collective rather than individualized action for structural transformation.
What’s driving them? A qualitative approach to explore women entrepreneurs’ motivations in STEM
(2024)
Purpose:
Entrepreneurship and the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are considered important drivers of innovation. At the same time, the representation of women entrepreneurs in STEM remains low. Despite this disparity, a number of women still choose to start ventures and persist in pursuing their innovations in STEM. This study aims to examine the motivational factors that drive women entrepreneurs to approach and consistently pursue their innovations and ventures in STEM.
Design/methodology/approach:
Drawing on the concept of the heterogeneity of motivational factors (Graham and Bonner, 2022) and Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986, 2001; Wood and Bandura, 1989), 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women entrepreneurs in STEM. This approach allowed for an in-depth exploration of the heterogeneous motivational factors influencing women entrepreneurs in STEM.
Findings:
The motivations of women entrepreneurs in STEM are multifaceted, interrelated and dynamic. They encompass personal and cognitive, behavioral and environmental factors and partly change over time. This study reveals two levels of heterogeneity: the heterogeneity of women entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial motivations, and the within-context heterogeneity of women entrepreneurs in STEM themselves.
Originality/value:
This study addresses the need for a deeper understanding of women entrepreneurs in STEM. By focusing on nuanced aspects of entrepreneurial motivations that are often overlooked in the existing literature, this research provides valuable insights and discusses implications for theory, policy and education.
Dieses Open Access essential enthält eine Sammlung praxisnaher Fallstudien, die auf realen Beispielen von Innovatorinnen basieren und einen Einblick in die vielfältigen Rollen von Frauen in Innovationsprozessen geben. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Vermittlung eines breiten Innovationsbegriffs. Zugleich wird herausgearbeitet, wie bedeutend es ist, Innovatorinnen und ihre Leistungen sichtbar zu machen.

