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Innovation in Action: Studying Innovation in Times of Crisis

Final Report Summary - INNO-ACT (Innovation in Action: Studying Innovation in Times of Crisis)

INNO-ACT draws on the theory and methods developed by anthropologists investigating techno-scienctific and knowledge experts to study innovation in the making or "in action." The main objective of the project is to understand how innovation emerges and how exactly it contributes to the current complex societal challenges. Theoretically, INNO-ACT links unconnected academic areas of work on innovation, broadly categorized as social, technological/neo-Schumpeterian and business innovation. In doing so it paves the way towards "an anthropology of innovation," an interdisciplinary approach that bridges contemporary intellectual silos and generates new practical and theoretical insights on a topic with immense practical implications for industry, public policy and society. On the researcher level, the Marie Curie individual fellowship has enabled the principal investigator to return back to academia, re-establish her links to the anthropology and STS communicate, while building a new professional network and skills in the fields of innovation studies and management. More concretely, the fellowship has resulted in 10 distinct papers that have been successfully presented in international peer-reviewed conferences or workshops and are in the process of revision for publication.