The increasing importance of knowledge in contemporary societies is necessary to understand and analyze the relation between science and innovation today.This article is focused on how our conception of the processes of knowledge production and the process of innovation has evolved.The relation between science and innovation has changed compared to past decades, nowadays the concept of innovation and its' relation with science goes beyond the application of the scientific method inside the scientific community.This relation extends itself into other spheres such as the cultural and the social where other applications are involved and where the development of public policy becomes crucial.