Defining, Observing, and Accelerating Innovation in SSH: The OPERAS Innovation Lab Approach to Scholarly Communication

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2026.1835

Keywords:

innovation, social sciences and humanities, co-creation, co-design, research infrastructure

Abstract

This paper introduces a specific approach to innovation developed by the OPERAS Innovation Lab. It positions co-design as a core methodological principle of the OPERAS Innovation Lab and describes the Lab’s two main components – the Observatory and the Accelerator – as complementary mechanisms for observing emerging practices and accelerating innovation in social sciences and humanities (SSH) scholarly communication. It examines how innovation in SSH extends beyond STEM-centric and business-oriented models that prioritise technological novelty or marketable solutions. While acknowledging these models, the SSH field adds unique value, such as epistemic diversity and free access to knowledge, and develops its own approach that fosters a culture of innovation and reshapes how research is conducted, communicated, and evaluated in pursuit of broader societal impact. This culture is enabled by digital transformation, but it also emerges from the intrinsic characteristics of SSH, which have long relied on human-centred, interpretative, and creative practices that support epistemological diversity and critical reflection.

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Published

2026-09-16

How to Cite

Wnuk, M., Maryl, M., Umerle, T., & Sokolova, E. (2026). Defining, Observing, and Accelerating Innovation in SSH: The OPERAS Innovation Lab Approach to Scholarly Communication. CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation, 10(2), 52–59. https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2026.1835

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2026): Special Issue on Co-Creation

Section

Part 2: Spaces and Structures

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Copyright (c) 2026 Magdalena Wnuk, Maciej Maryl, Tomasz Umerle, Elana Sokolova

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