PILLAR 1
Women’s Technology-Driven Careers in Rural Regions
The focus of this pillar is women’s technology-driven careers in research and innovation in rural and sparsely populated regions. While many studies have explored the situation of women in technology-driven disciplines within academia in and around the large universities and academic institutions, less interest has been directed towards women in research and innovation in rural regions.
We have two main research goals: first, to explore women’s career trajectories and work experiences in research and innovation in rural regions; and second, to investigate how gender is negotiated and (re)shaped in research, knowledge and innovation institutions in the rural regions. The overall goal of this pillar is to contribute to improving women’s participation and visibility in technology-driven research and innovation also in rural regions.
PILLAR 2
Research-Intensive Research and Innovation Areas (Urban)
The focus of this pillar is on the gendered relations of the technology-driven innovation field, inside and outside of the academy, and women’s opportunities to move into senior positions within them, in research intensive regions both in Finland and Sweden.
The research employs action research and qualitative methods, and, following the 4-helix model, collaborates with actors from public sector organizations (regional development agency), research institutions (universities and university colleges), business organizations, and civil society (for example women’s networks).
PILLAR 3
eHealth
In the eHealth pillar we focus on women’s careers in eHealth research, innovation and implementation as a cross disciplinary field. Such careers remain wholly under-researched, and we will investigate how gender affects the innovation and implementation of E-health. The first study done in the E-health pillar in Nordwit is a survey and interview study on the establishment of medical records online for patients. The study will focus on the people who launched this controversial system, and their career paths.
PILLAR 4
Digital Humanities (in academe + outside in gaming companies)
The Digital Humanities (DH) research area is concerned with the ways in which women forge careers within an emerging area in academe and in the gaming industry outside of academe. Traditionally Humanities has been one of the areas where women figure prominently whilst technology is still regarded largely as a male preserve. However, in bringing together Humanities elements and technology, for example in story-boarding for games, DH challenges those gender dimensions. What does that mean for women’s work in DH environments? And how much and what kind of cross-over is there between these worlds? These are just two of the questions this research area engages with.
NORDWIT 