## 1 Introduction  
Actor-network theory (ANT) represents a research paradigm that has already been applied to science and technology studies and innovation management research by focusing on the contingency of the transition from invention to innovation [1]. The uniqueness of ANT's perspective is rooted in the adoption of a fundamental principle of symmetry between human and non-human agents, which allows for the inherent contingency of real-life innovations [2; 3; 4]. The principle of symmetry refers to the idea that all entities within a network, whether human or non-human, should be analyzed and described using the same premises, meaning that all actors are considered equally important and active in shaping the network's dynamics. Taking an ANT approach to the study of scientific inventions having the potential to be adopted in a real-life context may provide new insights into how human and non-human actors (researchers, businesses, non-human actants such as patents, design tools, or fabrication equipment) negotiate the development and the adoption of an emerging invention [5]. The focus on the influential role of non-human actants is particularly relevant because of its unique explanatory potential [6]. In ANT, the terms 'actor' and 'actant' are often used interchangeably but also have some nuanced differences. Both terms refer to entities that can act within forming or emerging networks. At the same time, 'actor' is used in a more general sense to denote any participant with agency, while 'actant' is a more specific term borrowed from semiotics to describe any entity, regardless of its nature, that could be granted activity by others in contributing to actions within a forming network. This distinction goes beyond ANT's usual focus on the symmetry between human and non-human actors in terms of their potential impact on novelty and has enabled further ANT research focusing on refining the symmetry principle by exploring (a) the unique role of personal factors (e.g., human persistence, endurance, ingenuity) and their potential to weaken or reshape the supposed symmetry between human and non-human actors by taking the initiative and driving the course of action in a way that could impact the innovation outcomes; (b) the extent to which the quality of the coupling, entanglement or synergy between human actors and non-human actants can affect an emerging invention [7; 8; 9]. The objective of the present research study is to expand the applicability of these later insights into the study of scientific inventions and their potential transition to real-life innovations. The article focuses on a case where there is a clear separation between the invention and adoption phases of an invention. This is the invention of Sub-Wavelength Grating (SWG) photonic metamaterials by members of the Silicon Photonics Research Group in the Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centre at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. The results of this study were part of the Master Thesis of [PERSON] (\"Using Actor-Network Theory to Examine the Invention-to-Innovation Transition of SWG Photonic Meta-Materials\", Master of Applied Science Thesis, Engineering, Technology Innovation Management, 2024, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada: DOI: [[https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2024-15963](https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2024-15963)]([https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2024-15963](https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2024-15963))). The invention of the SWG metamaterials was orchestrated by one of the group members, who is a Principal Research Officer at NRC (in this study, we will be referring to him as the [PERSON]). The term 'orchestration' could be misleading since it suggests some degree of linearity and predictability in the pursuit of the invention. It is, however, highly adequate in highlighting the unique personal ability of the [PERSON] to engage, align, and synergize human, technological, and research resources across multiple countries and research institutions.