In this paper, we introduce the themes addressed and the approaches used in this special issue. We start by briefly discussing the state of the art in research and policy making related to science, technology and ageing. We argue that an important gap characterizes this state of the art: current approaches do not consider material practice and materiality to be an inherent part of later life as constituted in contemporary societies. Science and Technology Studies (STS) provide both the theories and methods to address this gap, and thus deploy a theoretical and empirical understanding of science, technology and ageing that captures how later life co-evolves with the practices of technology use and design. We briefly discuss how the articles in the collection each contribute to such an understanding across various locations. We conclude that, together, the contributions specify a perspective on the socio-material constitution of later life that implicates an important agenda for the future study of ageing and gerontechnology innovation.

The editors have tried to ensure the accuracy of this report but cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. They would like to thank the referees for their constructive comments on the draft document.

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The editors have tried to ensure the accuracy of this report but cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. They would like to thank the referees for their constructive comments on the draft document.

This paper reports on a two‐pronged research study: a critical review of reported research concerning continuity and stability for children looked after away from home, and a telephone survey of UK managers responsible for looked after children. The review found limited research in this specific field that met the criteria of the critical review, but reports some evidence in favour of sibling co‐placement, kinship care, parental participation, professional foster care and individualized, multidimensional support. The survey revealed a culture of innovation in this field in the UK voluntary and statutory sectors, but with little evaluation of the independent effects of new interventions. The paper places the research in the context of current policy initiatives in the UK and discusses the implications of the findings for research and practice.

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A very large grey area exists between translational stem cell research and applications that comply with the ideals of randomised control trials and good laboratory and clinical practice and what is often referred to as snake-oil trade. We identify a discrepancy between international research and ethics regulation and the ways in which regulatory instruments in the stem cell field are developed in practice. We examine this discrepancy using the notion of 'national home-keeping', referring to the way governments articulate international standards and regulation with conflicting demands on local players at home. Identifying particular dimensions of regulatory tools - authority, permissions, space and acceleration - as crucial to national home-keeping in Asia, Europe and the USA, we show how local regulation works to enable development of the field, notwithstanding international (i.e. principally 'western') regulation. Triangulating regulation with empirical data and archival research between 2012 and 2015 has helped us to shed light on how countries and organisations adapt and resist internationally dominant regulation through the manipulation of regulatory tools (contingent upon country size, the state's ability to accumulate resources, healthcare demands, established traditions of scientific governance, and economic and scientific ambitions).