25 February 2025. By David Erichsen

Humanities and social sciences are indispensable for future solutions that demand both technology and human understanding

Climate change, social inequality, and health crises are not just technical challenges—they are fundamentally human, and therefore it is crucial that fields such as the humanities and social sciences also contribute to the solutions of the future.

When discussing research areas, there are STEM and there is SHAPE. While STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) is widely recognized for its crucial role in the development of new technology, there is an increasing appreciation for the significance of SHAPE (social sciences, humanities, and arts).

In a cross-university collaboration in Denmark, one of the activities has been that a research group has mapped the societal value of research within SHAPE. The report, which can be downloaded here, highlights that SHAPE is characterized by:

Unique strengths – Understanding human aspects complements technological solutions and makes them more applicable.

Innovation – Research often depends on individual expertise, and we need to ensure wider application across sectors.

Customized approaches – Communication and methods should reflect the values that humanities and social sciences are built upon.

New funding models – There is a need for alternative support options through partnerships and foundations.

Strengthened networks – Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to creating real impact.

Simply put, SHAPE contributes insights into culture, behavior, and societal structures, which make future solutions more sustainable and meaningful.

The collaboration is driven by the SHAPE taskforce with support from the Open Entrepreneurship Central Unit. During 2022 the taskforce extended from five university representatives to all eight. In early 2023 the taskforce applied for funds from the InnoTech Group to establish a project to assess the potential of strengthening the utilization of SHAPE research from Danish universities.

Join the SHAPE innovation group in Denmark

Do you want to hear about new events and the work of the initiative? Join the SHAPE innovation LinkedIn group in Denmark.

Participate in webinar “Discover new paths of impact for your research”

Participate in webinar “Discover new paths of impact for your research” on 26 March 2025 from 16:00-17:30 CET. It is free of charge, but sign up is required.

Report: Commercialization of research from the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) at universities

Download the report “Commercialization of research from the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) at universities: A scoping study: existing insight and current practices” below.

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