Abstract
Innovation is the driving force behind economic success. To ensure ongoing innovation and competitiveness on the market the use of the full talent is required. Despite previous efforts to attract, retain and equally promote women, their representation in the innovation sector, especially in leadership and R&D positions, lags behind that of men’s. To work towards eradicating those inequalities this research applies the theoretical framework of the gendered organisation by Acker in the masculine dominated innovation ecosystem of Oxfordshire. To understand how careers can create a barrier to innovation and how this relationship is shaped by culture and work-life balance applying a gender and intersectionality lens, this research takes a multi-level mixed method approach. Especially, after the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in new ways of living and working as well as Brexit this research is right on time. The goal is to develop guidance and policies to eradicate inequalities and contribute to the local and national industrial strategy.