The share of women inventors is significantly lower than that of men inventors. This study examines whether the low female propensity to patent in Italy can be explained by the traditional local conception of women's role in society, measured with their share among the founders of medieval guilds. The analysis uses data on guilds from the Central State Archive, administrative employer-employee records, and data from the European Patent Office.
The results show that Italian provinces with a higher share of women among the founders of medieval guilds today display a higher proportion of female inventors and more intense patenting activity by women. The estimates also reveal that these provinces currently have a higher percentage of women with a college degree, particularly in STEM fields, as well as greater female participation in the labour market.
