Innovation is identified as the fundamental force of economic growth (Romer 1990; Aghion and Howitt 1992), which is the most significant contributor to human wellbeing. The outcome of innovation, i.e., new knowledge, needs to be translated by entrepreneurs to create economic value. However, this process is not trivial. The gap between innovation and entrepreneurship reflects the differences between a scientist and a businessperson. The skillset for the two roles is closely related but substantially disparate, so education, policies, and subsidies are usually needed to smooth the transition (Foreman-Peck and Zhou 2022).

As we enter the 21st century, the advances of scientific innovations have been accelerated in physical sciences & engineering, medical sciences, and computer sciences. New business models based on disruptive innovations are also spawning fast such as big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and molecular biology, just to name a few. At the same time, academic publications on innovation and entrepreneurship are also growing every year (Figure 1). Nevertheless, existing academic journals either embark on innovations per se from a scientific perspective or on entrepreneurship from an economic perspective. Researchers from natural sciences and social sciences do not have a common platform to communicate and collaborate. International Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IJIE) aims to fill this gap, smooth the knowledge transfer, and enhance the research impact based on international experiences.

The scopes of IJIE cover and bridge two broad fields. On the one hand, we publish scientific research of cutting-edge innovations in multiple fields such as engineering, physical science, medical science, and computer science (including artificial intelligence). On the other hand, the journal provides a forum for innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers to share successful (and unsuccessful) business case studies, economic policies, and education advances that can nurture innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transformation between them. Innovation and entrepreneurship have a significant impact on how institutions are established in a society. Even within-the-system entrepreneurship can be so disruptive that it shocks the system to its core. Entrepreneurs and innovators can alter political and economic institutions by challenging, modifying, or circumventing them. As a result, socioeconomic articles regarding how innovation and entrepreneurship affect inequality, mobility, sustainability, institutional quality, and cultural dynamics are also of interest to us.

One feature of IJIE is to promote Open Access (OA). The OA publication model echoes the open science initiative to maximize the dissemination of latest scientific innovations and entrepreneurial insights. OA publications are supported by article processing charges paid by authors to fund editorial management, peer review, and publication costs. Authors retain the full copyright of their publications while augmenting its academic and nonacademic impacts.

Another important feature of IJIE is to promote scientific education between established and future researchers with the help of a novel article type—essay. Different from letters or commentaries which are popular type of short communications, essays are designed to encourage future scientists (e.g., undergraduate/postgraduate students, high school pupils, and science fans) to publish their research. These essays may not be as innovative and rigorous as real scientific research but will be published with detailed feedback from well-established scientists. It offers a dialogue between different generations of scientists and this initiative of IJIE can also break the monopoly of scientific knowledge.

The third feature of IJIE is to publish articles on applying cutting-edge technologies to resolving big issues of our time such as climate change, privacy protection, and gender inequality. We hope IJIE can encourage “tech for good” in academic research and business development. And ultimately, contribute to peace and prosperity for the people and the planet, now and into the future.