In research policy, the "Valley of Death" is a familiar lament. We assume that with enough tax credits or grant schemes, the bridge from discovery to market will build itself. Yet beneath the surface lies a more fundamental disconnect: the tension between what we can see as the "sociology of the academy" and the "epistemology of the engineer".

How can innovation policy become both empirically rigorous and open to wisdom that cannot easily be measured? This new Innovation Insight examines the strengths of evidence-based policymaking in building accountability and transparency, while also questioning whether excessive reliance on measurable outcomes risks excluding critical interdisciplinary perspectives. As research and innovation challenges become more complex, the need for richer, integrative policymaking grows.