“Identity and Innovation: How Who We Are Shapes What We Create”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Identity and Innovation: How Who We Are Shapes What We Create”

Journal: Technovation
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission deadline: 15 November 2026

Overview

This special issue—published by Elsevier—seeks to reframe innovation as an identity-infused and contested process rather than a neutral, purely technical pursuit. It explores how various forms of identity—individual, organizational, disciplinary, and geopolitical—act as constitutive forces that determine what gets innovated, who has the legitimacy to participate, and whose futures are envisioned in the process.

Key Research Themes

• Cognitive & Strategic Influence: How professional, epistemic, and disciplinary identities frame problem-solving, novelty recognition, and opportunity pursuit.

• Identity Legitimacy: The power of identity narratives (e.g., "disruptor," "technonationalist," "activist") in securing legitimacy for innovation projects.

• Team Dynamics & Diversity: The impact of identity diversity on knowledge integration, creative conflict, and the boundaries of innovation teams.

• Geopolitics & Sovereignty: How state-level and national identities shape innovation strategies, including priorities like energy resilience, climate adaptation, and technological sovereignty.

• Critical Innovation Perspectives: Cross-cultural, postcolonial, and indigenous lenses that challenge dominant Western or techno-centric assumptions in innovation theory.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 15 October 2026 – 15 November 2026.

• Submission portal: https://www.editorialmanager.com/technovation/default2.aspx

• Special Instructions: You must select the article type “VSI: Identity and Innovation” during the submission process to ensure your manuscript is correctly categorized for this special issue.

Guest Editors

• Benjamin Laker, Henley Business School (benjamin.laker@henley.ac.uk)

• Martin Meyer, University of Vaasa (martin.meyer@uwasa.fi)

• Fulya Acikgoz, University of Sussex (f.acikgoz@sussex.ac.uk)

• Hamid Roodbari, University of Surrey (h.roodbari@surrey.ac.uk)

• Toyin Ajibade Adisa, University of East London (t.adisa@uel.ac.uk)

Why This Issue Matters

Standard innovation models often ignore the human and social fabric behind technological breakthroughs. This special issue—published by Elsevier—aims to shift the analytical focus from abstract systems to the specific people and collectives through whom innovation is enacted, providing a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and political dynamics that ultimately shape our future.

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