In a context marked by unprecedented challenges (the struggle against inequalities, climate change, etc.), innovation appears to be the readymade universal scapegoat. Innovation for Society, however, suggests that we look at innovation differently, by inviting us to innovate with consciousness. To do this, the authors introduce an approach they call Penser le Sens de l’Innovation (P.S.I., or “thinking about the meaning of innovation”), comprising a set of tools largely from the humanities and social sciences (observation, cartography, creativity, storytelling, etc.) to lead us to this “meaning”. By considering the question of “meaning” from the point of view of both direction and signification, the authors rehabilitate the eminently political question of knowing which innovations we choose for which societies.

Marianne Chouteau is a lecturer at INSA Lyon, France, a member of the S2HEP laboratory at the University of Lyon, and is part of the Chaire Saint-Gobain – INSA Lyon Ingénieurs Ingénieux team. Specializing in imagination and representations of technology, her research interests include innovation and ethics.

Joëlle Forest is a lecturer at INSA Lyon, a member of the S2HEP laboratory at the University of Lyon, and is responsible for research conducted within the framework of the Chaire Saint-Gobain – INSA Lyon Ingénieurs Ingénieux team. Her research interests focus on the mode of existence of innovations.

Céline Nguyen is a lecturer at INSA Lyon, a member of the S2HEP laboratory at the University of Lyon, and is part of the Chaire SaintGobain – INSA Lyon Ingénieurs Ingénieux team. Her research interests include the analysis of narratives and representations surrounding technology and innovation.