"Gendered Innovations," a concept first proposed in 2005, is gradually being recognized in Japan. It is also being referenced in national policy, featuring in the Japanese government's Basic Plan outlining medium- to long-term policy directions. As yet, however, Japan has not implemented specific initiatives in Gendered Innovations on a national level.

In this report, we speak to "integrating sex and gender into research and innovation" in reference to research integrating sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA) and innovations informed by the outcomes of such analysis. While the term "Gendered innovations" encompasses this, we use the more specific phrasing to clarify the focus of our investigation.

In looking at international initiatives giving "integrating sex and gender into research and innovation," we identified two major trends. One is the increasing awareness of sex and gender bias in research and innovation, and the other is the growing need to address those biases.

The first trend is the growing awareness of the lack of attention to sex and gender in R&D, as well as the prevalence of unconscious gender bias. For example, it is now well known that AI systems often exhibit biases and discriminatory behavior because they inadvertently learn from biased training materials. It is also increasingly evident that traditionally male or male-dominated standards have compromised the safety of underrepresented groups, such as women, the elderly, and others, in areas such as drug development and industrial products like automobiles. In other words, unconscious gender bias poses risks with negative consequences. Actively addressing these biases could lead to new research and innovation.

The second trend is the increasingly strong demand for considering sex and gender, both from a social/ethical and scientific perspective. While this demand is partly driven by growing societal expectations for EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), it is not limited to these factors. As noted earlier, integrating sex and gender into research and innovation enhances scientific knowledge and promotes responsible research and innovation (RRI). This is why high-impact journals such as Nature and the Lancet require authors to integrate sex- and gender-based analyses into their research design. Similarly, funding organizations like the EU's Horizon Europe, CIHR in Canada, NIH in the US, DFG in Germany, UKRI-MRC in the UK, and ANR in France are increasingly mandating or requiring the consideration of sex and gender in R&D. These initiatives are expected to significantly impact researchers, universities, and higher research institutions engaging in international R&D and collaboration.

Initiatives related to "integrating sex and gender into research and innovation" are becoming a global standard in scientific research. Japan has made little progress in establishing its own measures and mechanisms for its science and technology innovation policies, and it will be essential to consider how to address this issue moving forward. We hope that this report will contribute to deepening discussions among academic associations and researchers in various fields, as well as among policymakers, funding agencies, universities, research institutes, and other organizations closely involved in science, technology, and research.

• (in Japanese) International Trends in Gendered Innovations: Integrating Sex and Gender into Research and Innovation