Expansion: innovation for a sustainable society

Innovation is more and more seen as a tool to solve social and environmental problems. Consequently, new societal stakeholder groups are engaged in innovation activities.

The scope has broadened from mere research and development laboratories to often covering our everyday lives – as living labs or as whole urban areas transformed into innovation test beds. There are also a growing number of regions and countries in the developing world, in the global south, that are developing their capacity to innovate. This expansion of innovation activities and policies to foster a sustainable society is of interest here.