A new study commissioned by Invent Together, an alliance focused on broadening participation in inventing and patenting, identified trust as a pivotal factor influencing an individual’s decision to pursue a patent when they have an idea for a new product or technology. The study, titled “The Role of Trust in Advancing Equity in Innovation,” found that people who are more trusting are more likely to consider patenting and have more confidence in their ability to navigate the patenting process. The study also identified significant trust gaps among women and people of color, which deter their participation in inventing and patenting.

The study deepens our understanding of the barriers to equity in innovation and underscores the urgent need to build trust within the innovation ecosystem to safeguard U.S. global technology leadership. By illuminating barriers to engagement in the U.S. patent system, the study also provides a roadmap for building trust and closing inventor diversity gaps by increasing knowledge and awareness of patents and resources available to inventors, expanding access to service providers and resources for inventors, improving workplace culture, and adopting policies and practices at institutions that facilitate idea sharing.

“By fostering trust in the U.S. patent system, particularly among women and people of color, we can unlock untapped inventor potential, leading to new inventions that have the power to improve lives and boost the economy. Every American should have the opportunity to invent and patent, and by addressing key human elements like trust in individuals and institutions, we can unleash the full power of American ingenuity and drive unparalleled advancements in innovation,” said Holly Fechner, Executive Director of Invent Together.

Study Highlights:

• Patent knowledge gaps: More than 80% of potential inventors reported having minimal or no knowledge of patents. Black and Hispanic women are at the greatest disadvantage, with 88% of Hispanic and 86% of Black women reporting minimal or no knowledge.
• Trust’s influence on pursuing patents: While most people are generally trusting, women and people of color are significantly less trusting and more cautious about engaging with individuals and institutions that could help them navigate the patenting process due to a history of misappropriation of Black inventors’ ideas and expectations of mistreatment based on past personal experiences in the workplace and other settings. This contributes to hesitation to share ideas, which is crucial during the patenting process.
• Networks and support systems: Having trusted support increases inventors’ confidence in navigating the patenting process. Those with trusted networks were 72% more confident in knowing who to talk to and where to start and 65% more likely to understand what is required to apply for a patent.
• Workplace culture: Women and people of color are more likely to face repeated negative experiences in the workplace, such as having their ideas rejected or having others take credit for them. These negative experiences reduce the likelihood that women and people of color will engage in pro-invention behaviors such as sharing ideas, disclosing inventions, and collaborating with others. Black women were the most likely to report such negative experiences (80%), and more than half (55%) of Hispanic women said those experiences influence whether they share ideas with their managers.
• Purpose-driven innovation: Women and people of color are often motivated to invent to benefit their communities or solve a societal problem. Some members of these groups said they would be less likely to pursue patents for their inventions if they believed doing so would contrast with their underlying motives for inventing. This was particularly true for Hispanic and Black women, as 35% and 29%, respectively, expressed that concerns about their inventions not benefiting their target populations might prevent them from pursuing a patent.

This study will help stakeholders better understand and address the complex dynamics influencing engagement in inventing and patenting.

"We cannot close inventor diversity gaps if we do not understand all the factors contributing to them. This study improves our collective understanding of the impact of trust on engagement in inventing and patenting and outlines critical steps key institutions and individuals can take to address and overcome the trust barrier,” said Jessica Milli, lead study researcher and Founder and Principal at Research 2 Impact.

Invent Together’s study deepens our understanding of the barriers to equity in innovation. To build trusting relationships between historically underrepresented inventors and the people and institutions that can help them navigate the patenting process, the study offers key recommendations for policymakers to expand the pool of American inventors, including:

• Increasing early exposure to inventing and patenting, including in K-12 curricula, to foster creativity from a young age and empower future inventors to pursue and protect their ideas;
• Strengthening collaboration between the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), U.S. Small Business Administration, and business support organizations to ensure that trusted local organizations have the benefit of government resources;
• Expanding access to free legal assistance and other services for under-resourced inventors;
• Investing in technology transfer capacity, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions, to help academic inventors patent;
• Reimagining the USPTO patent examination process so that it feels less adversarial and more collaborative; and
• Collecting data on participation in inventing and patenting to track progress and evaluate the effectiveness of new programs and initiatives.

To learn more about The Role of Trust in Advancing Equity in Innovation, read the report.

ABOUT INVENT TOGETHER

Invent Together is an alliance of universities, nonprofits, companies, and other stakeholders dedicated to broadening participation in inventing and patenting. www.inventtogether.org.

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