 Recent studies in laboratory ethnography and interactionist sociology of work have provided detailed accounts of maintenance and repair work in various settings, shedding light on issues such as innovation, ordering processes, and materiality in science and technology studies. The focus of this introduction is on two main topics, how maintenance and repair studies enhance our understanding of socio-material work and object agency, and why exploring maintenance and repair practices is crucial for challenging and decentering innovation studies. This article was authored by Jerome Dennis, Alessandro Mangalai, and David Ponteel.