I was a visiting researcher at INGENIO between April and July 2015, coming from the University of Nottingham in the UK. My interest in the Institute was first prompted by suggestion of an UK colleague, who thought my interdisciplinary background and interest in the social dimensions of STI nicely matched with INGENIO’s profile. I must admit I was surprised of not having heard of the Institute before, having done my PhD at the Institute of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Salamanca. Later I found that there were links between my former Institute and INGENIO (besides an important degree of disciplinary overlap, especially in the areas of S&T policy and research evaluation). It was not until the beginning of this year however that I would have my first direct contact with the Institute, through one of its members, David Barberà. As it often happens in new intellectual encounters, we were excited to explore potential routes for academic collaboration. Invited by David to do a research visit, at INGENIO I found space to engage with researchers coming from many different backgrounds and working on research topics that range from responsible research and innovation to grassroots movements. In the rather unlikely intersection of these two subjects I have carried on collaborating not only with David, but also other great minds of the Institute, like Sergio Belda and Sandra Boni. During the time spent there, a lot of food for thought also came from interactions with Ismael Rafols and Richard Wooley, not to mention the Institute’s enthusiastic graduate students. INGENIO is one of those rare and much needed places that make you think inter- and transdisciplinary research is actually possible. In current times, the institute is definitely in a great position – it has a good mix of intellectual diversity, academic capacity and international orientation. Most importantly, it is a friendly place that welcomes diversity and where I felt very welcomed.