In order for DANS to keep its services up-to-date and at the forefront of developments and to be proactive where new developments arise Research and Innovation activities are key. In that, the Research and Innovation group (R&I-G) has an investigative and supportive role concerning the overall DANS mission. This programme defines as central research question: How do new insights affect the long-term archiving of complex digital research objects, and which community and infrastructure effects are needed to ensure this? It further describes how R&I-G investigates this question along three dimensions: archives, communities, innovation and additionally contributes to policy support at the intersection of those themes.