Undoing gender in EU’s social innovation policies?

Abstract

EU's new policy strategies for growth and innovation include a strong commitment to promote social innovation - in contrast to the earlier focus on technological innovation - potentially decreasing the identified gender gap in innovation. The article scrutinises this potential of 'undoing gender' in Europe 2020 and Innovation Union by means of the new scientific concept 'gendered social innovation' and the discourse analytical approach 'What's the problem represented to be?'. The results expose that the broad approach to innovation identified on a general level in the strategies, seems to open up public innovation support to wider societal participation and benefit with a more equal inclusion of women and men in innovation, by including a broad range of sectors, industries, organisations, disciplines and innovation types. On a more specific level, possible reinforcement of existing gender patterns is identified, however, due to excluding elements in parallel strategies of smart specialisation, critical mass and excellence.