In this special issue, we will consider the future of the humanities and social sciences and their ecosystem, while keeping in mind the changes in "science, technology, and innovation policy." We will look at good practices and try to articulate and visualize the issues involved. We will then look at the future relationship between "science, technology, and innovation policy" and the humanities and social sciences. This issue provides insights based on specific discussions and practical examples. We hope that the insights will help us to consider the future of the humanities and social sciences and their ecosystem in the context of changes in "science, technology, and innovation policy."

A series of initiatives for reforming research assessment mainly in the U.S. and Europe have developed into an agreement and coalition under the overarching concept of "Responsible Research Assessment". In Japan, although the number of signatories to DORA has recently increased and the awareness of reforming research assessment is growing, it is still limited.

The Japan Inter-institutional Network for Social Science, Humanities, and Arts (JINSHA) has been discussing the appropriate assessment of Humanities and Social Sciences research. Keenly aware of the need to share the issues comprehensively with different stakeholders without repeating the same arguments, JINSHA created "the Issue Map" that organizes and visualizes the existing issues.

This paper discusses the positioning and significance of the "map", and attempts to re-organize the issues regarding social impact assessment. The paper then looks ahead to the future discussions on reforming research assessment, and how the updated "map" could contribute to it.

This paper examines the concept of "space" in the context of co-creation and innovation within the humanities and social sciences. It begins with an overview of the history of promoting these disciplines. Following this, the paper explores the concept of "space" using the "Academic Knowledge Co-Creation Project," commissioned by MEXT. The focus is not on the content of individual academic debates but rather on the practical organization of functional and structural issues related to "space" in co-creation and innovation. The paper considers the relationship between "space-making" and "team building," examining the phases of "space" and its related functions, both before and after. It also reflects on the current emphasis on providing "space" without sufficient focus on the tacit knowledge and design philosophy essential for successful project management. Additionally, it suggests establishing producer roles and support functions external to researchers to create a more supportive environment for co-creation and innovation.

Since the 2000s, in Japan, there has been an expansion of initiatives and opportunities for industry-academia collaboration surrounding ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues/Implications) aimed at responsible research and new innovations. For example, the Research Center on Ethical Legal and Social Issues at Osaka University and mercari R4D, Mercari, Inc.'s research and development organization, have been conducting joint research since 2020 to promote responsible research and development and the creation of innovations with a focus on the ELSI of emerging technology. This paper provides an overview of the process and outcomes of this joint research, and clarifies the contributions made by researchers in the humanities and social sciences within the context of industry-academia collaboration. It also examines how these researchers can effectively fulfill their roles.

In this paper, we examines the current state and potential of academic crowdfunding, with a focus on the humanities and social sciences. The key to success in academic crowdfunding lies in generating "empathy" for researchers and their research themes, which requires researchers to clearly communicate their "research vision." The humanities and social sciences, in particular, have a high affinity with academic crowdfunding, as they often deal with relatable research themes and typically require smaller amounts of funding. Communicating a research vision can lead to collaboration with diverse stakeholders, the creation of new research paradigms, and addressing challenges in the AI era. Moreover, academic crowdfunding interacts with the democratization of donation culture and participatory decision-making mechanisms, potentially transforming research promotion systems from centralized to decentralized. As individual researchers engage in dialogue with society, new horizons in academic research will be opened up.

Social data science is an emerging interdisciplinary research field emerged from the fusion of social sciences and data science. This paper examines the academic and societal significance and development potential of social data science from the perspective of science and technology policy. First, we position bibliometrics and foresight as the origins of social data science and clarify their roles in understanding the relationship between science, technology, and society. Next, we introduce the concept of responsible research and innovation (RRI) and discuss the role that social data science should play in realizing RRI. Furthermore, we illustrate the development potential of social data science and its contribution to solving social issues while mentioning the ethical, legal, and technical challenges it faces. Through these discussions, we reveal that social data science is an important academic field that promotes collaboration between academia and society and contributes to evidence-based solutions to social issues.

This paper discusses the state of Digital Humanities (DH) in Japan, reflecting on its history and future possibilities. DH has gained attention as "Convergence Knowledge" in Japan's 6th Basic Plan for Science, Technology, and Innovation. In the early 1990s, there were initial movements to apply informatics to the humanities, with several institutions constructing databases, and academic societies forming. Key issues like shared methods, interdisciplinarity, and international collaboration were noted then, and remain relevant today.

In the 2000s, the "digitalarchive" boom, led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, saw limited government support for Digital Humanities. However, the introduction of "Convergence Knowledge" marked a shift, with information technology becoming a focus for humanities promotion. The number of DH courses at universities increased, and efforts to comprehensively understand these developments have emerged. This paper classifies DH's growth into three types and explores future directions.

This article examines the relationship between humanities, social sciences, and regional innovation in Japan, detailing the structural dynamics of technological governance in sectors such as manufacturing industry, agriculture, and healthcare. It traces the historical development of policy frameworks from the Meiji period and analyzes post-war industrial location strategies that evolved into regional innovation ecosystems, highlighting the emergence of key policy concepts, such as priority setting.

The paper also describes a movement towards Responsible Research and Innovation integrating the humanities and social sciences, particularly within Niigata University's Research Centre on Emerging Technology and Governance, Institute of Research Promotion. This center advocates the integration of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) into a Convergence Knowledge platform, showcasing how comprehensive universities can adapt and transform in response to societal needs by anticipating vulnerabilities.

Geographical economics suggests that as the geographical distance between organizations increases, the efficiency of knowledge transfer decreases. However, absorbing overseas technology and knowledge on a global scale is a common phenomenon in the practice of open innovation. While there is increasing attention on the internationalization of R&D, research on its effectiveness remains insufficient.

This study focuses on global open innovation and examines the role it plays in R&D activities using quantitative methods. The analysis confirms that firm size has a positive impact on research outcomes and global open innovation. Furthermore, it is revealed that global open innovation mediates the relationship between R&D intensity and research outcomes.

This study highlights the necessity for companies to explore knowledge from overseas. Particularly for companies that strive for R&D, but struggle to achieve research outcomes, absorbing knowledge from overseas demonstrates the potential for generating new research achievements.