Gender lab

Purpose and goal

The main aim of the project was to contribute to greater gender equality, by developing and making available methods where gender perspective is the starting point for innovation. The project included 1) to develop one or more methods for increased innovation capability with a bearing on standard critical gender issues, 2) to test the method by allowing a number of operators to apply it, and 3) to develop one or more digital tools for the dissemination of the method. The first two objectives are well met. VINNOVA chose to delay Objective 3 for later projects.

Results and expected effects

The project resulted in a developed design based method for standard critical innovation and the development of several cases, showing what this might involve in a variety of industries and contexts, each with the potential to contribute to greater gender equality. The project shows that the design process focusing on users and enhanced investigative are necessary to achieve concrete results, but also that such a process cannot replace gender and design competent intermediates. The project also shows that the process is applicable to various forms of norm-driven innovation needs.

Approach and implementation

Basically, the project has followed the planned approach for the development of process and related methods, and for application of the process of the 10 participating groups, supported by the research team. However, the conditions changed regarding the goal of developing one or more digital tools for the dissemination of the method and VINNOVA chose to advance this goal for a later project. The researchers then focused on the process instead to gather information, materials and experiences that can be packed into some kind of future publication.