The Role of Trust in Advancing Equity in Innovation

Authors: Jessica Milli and Breann Branch

Note: This article was published on May 1, 2024 by Invent Together.

This report explores the role of trust in whether and how inventors from historically underrepresented groups choose to engage in patenting, who they decide to collaborate with, and how their experiences with the process itself as well as working with others to navigate it can affect their level of trust and engagement. It draws on qualitative data from 8 focus groups, which included 12 potential inventors and 19 inventors from diverse backgrounds, as well as quantitative data from nearly 900 respondents to a survey developed specifically for this project. This report highlights major barriers faced by women and people of color in accessing and navigating the patenting process and the different ways in which a lack of trusting relationships may hinder their success. Based on our findings, we present several recommendations that educational institutions, government institutions, technology transfer offices, corporations, and other service providers can implement to build trust with inventors from historically underrepresented groups and drive more equitable engagement in innovation and patenting.