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Standards are connected to innovation in numerous ways. They often define the interfaces that products use to communicate, the features that are critical for safety, and even the metrics by which innovation is assessed. Interest in standards has grown with the widespread adoption of digital technologies, the rise in global trade, and the recognition that standards can provide urgently needed tools for measuring and promoting environmental and social sustainability. This introduction to the special issue on Standards and Innovation describes some of the key trends and issues related to standardization, then outlines themes that link the ten papers in the special issue, and concludes with some thoughts on avenues for future research.