Call for papers

The Continuous Innovation Network (CINet) is a global network set up to bring together researchers and practitioners working in the field of Continuous Innovation and related areas of research and practice. The mission of CINet is to progressively become a school of thought on Continuous Innovation. Consistent with this mission, CINet organizes an annual conference. This announcement concerns the 26th CINet conference, which will take place in Lucerne, Switzerland,  hosted by the Lucerne School of Business and the Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), on 7-9 September 2025.

• Theme
• Session tracks
• The format
• Paper development workshop
• Best paper award
• Special issues

Theme

The 26th CINet conference will explore the theme of "Bridging Deep Tech and People-Centric Innovation," focusing on the integration of advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, quantum computing, robotics, and biotechnology with innovation practices that prioritize human needs, societal value, and ethical considerations. This intersection is critical for advancing innovation research and ensuring that technological breakthroughs address real-world challenges.

Deep tech represents transformative, research-intensive technologies with disruptive potential, while people-centric innovation emphasizes human-focused practices, including user needs, collaboration, and ethical impact. Bridging these paradigms enables the development of innovations that are both technologically advanced and socially meaningful.

Key research topics include aligning technology with societal needs, fostering trust and usability to drive adoption, addressing ethical and societal implications, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing future innovation leaders with the cultural awareness and empathy required for impactful innovation.

This conference will provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share insights and strategies for managing innovation in the deep tech era. It aims to shape a future where transformative technologies are harnessed responsibly, advancing continuous innovation aligned with human values and societal priorities.

Session tracks

The 26th CINet Conference invites rigorous research-based papers and research notes as well as practitioner presentations aimed at developing theory and/or practical recommendations related to the conference theme, “Bridging deep tech and people-centric innovation”, including:

• Integrating Deep Tech into Innovation Strategies: Exploring methodologies for integrating deep technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, biotechnology, nanotechnology, cleantech, quantum computing, and robotics into existing innovation frameworks, while assessing how these technologies are transforming various industries to drive innovation and create competitive advantages.
• Human-Centered Design in Tech-Driven Innovations: Focusing on techniques and tools that embed human-centered design into technology development, this section highlights the balance between user experience and technological capabilities, emphasizing how participatory design and user feedback influence the effectiveness of tech-driven innovations.
• Bridging Tensions through Innovation Ecosystems: Presenting models and frameworks that support effective collaboration across sectors within innovation ecosystems, with a focus on the role of governance, leadership, and cultural development. The use of technologies like digital platforms, and AI-based knowledge management helps address governance challenges and enhance ecosystem efficiency.
• Generative AI and the Implications for Innovation Consulting: Examining how generative AI is reshaping creativity and innovation consulting processes by enabling co-creation between consultants and AI systems, leading to more dynamic problem-solving approaches and enhanced innovation consulting outcomes.
• Ethical and Social Implications of Deep Tech Innovations: Addressing the ethical concerns related to the development and deployment of deep technologies, this section explores the impact of these innovations on societal norms and values. It also discusses ethical dilemmas that arise during implementation and highlights strategies to ensure equitable access to technology-driven innovations.
• Blockchain as a Catalyst for Innovation Management: This track explores the transformative role of blockchain technology in innovation management, examining how decentralized systems are redefining and enhancing innovation processes. It focuses on empirical and theoretical approaches to critically analyze the adoption and implementation of blockchain solutions within organizations, highlighting strategic implications and emerging trends.
• Sustainable Innovation: Balancing Technological and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Exploring innovations that promote sustainability by assessing the impact of deep technologies on sustainable development. This section also focuses on methods of teaching and coaching that combine sustainability goals with innovation objectives, fostering responsible technological advancements.
• Innovation Leadership and Technology Innovation: Managing tensions across all organizational levels requires multi-level ambidexterity capabilities to address innovation paradoxes. This section covers change management strategies for transitioning to tech-centric models, the importance of creating an innovation culture that integrates deep tech with human-centered design, and leadership in Human–Machine Teaming.
• Data-Driven Innovation and Decision-Making: Leveraging big data and analytics to fuel innovation, this section highlights the importance of fostering a data culture that balances data-centric and people-centric decision-making. It also explores the implications of digital twins for innovation and provides tools and methodologies for effective data utilization in knowledge management.
• Future Trends and Emerging Technologies in Innovation Management: Forecasting future technological advancements and emerging trends in innovation management, this section explores the future of creativity in the AI era and prepares organizations for the next wave of technological disruption, focusing on strategic foresight and adaptability.

In addition, papers addressing a broader set of themes within continuous innovation are welcome. These themes include:

• Continuous innovation strategies, practices and performance.
• Continuous innovation in products, services and operations.
• Organizing for continuous and/or discontinuous innovation.
• Innovation with external partners. 
• Management of ideas and creativity.
• Design thinking and continuous innovation.
• Continuous innovation in public settings.

The format

CINet accepts:

• “Full papers” of up to 5,000 words – to report research that has been completed.
• “Research notes” of up to 2,000 words – to propose a research idea, seek research collaboration, present a literature review, describe a research design, or report work-in-progress.
• Practitioner presentations – primarily focused on sharing and discussing (continuous) innovation practice and experience. 

By accepting shorter full papers, we facilitate the development of your work into journal articles, while avoiding self-plagiarism. Furthermore, CINet wants to be a place where not only completed research but also ideas for research or collaboration and different stages of work-in-progress are presented and discussed. The “research notes” support the latter purpose. And, last but not least, CINet want to be the place where theory and practice meet. The submission of ideas for practitioner presentations will be greatly appreciated.

Paper development workshop

While most papers presented at the conference are not ready for publication, many provide a good starting point but require additional work before they are publishable. So, true to its nature, CINet selects a number of papers for possible development into a special issue paper, based on their potential and, then, organizes one or more paper development workshops, in the form of a Teams or Zoom event. In these workshops, which will take place late October or early November 2025, the special issue editors will work together with experienced reviewers, to help the invited authors to develop their paper to publishable standard.

Best paper awards

Every year, CINet selects two award-winning papers: the John Bessant Best Paper Award and the Mariano Corso Best Practical Implications Award, the paper must meet the following criteria.

Special issues

The best papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in a special issue of Creativity and Innovation Management (CIM).