Inspiring the future change-makers: reflections and ways forward from the Challenge-Based Innovation experiment

Since 2013, CERN IdeaSquare has issued thousands of “licenses to dream” to students, faculties, and stakeholders engaged in Challenge Based Innovation (CBI) inspired programs (CBI-like) together with universities and institutions willing to inspire future change-makers to tackle global challenges. This special issue was inspired by these eight years of experimentation, leading to six papers that focus on three main topics: (1) learning from experimenting with CBI, (2) experimenting with deep tech in innovation processes, and (3) impact and future of CBI experimentations.