This EPJ + Focus Point on “Scientific Research in Cultural Heritage” brings together a selection of 27 papers from the 203 abstracts issued from 34 countries selected for the 2020 edition of the Conference on Innovation in Art Research and Technology before deciding to postpone it for 2 years following the health crisis. The articles that have been published in this Focus Point and which are integrated into the research fields of archaeometry or conservation sciences are presented by grouping them under the following three broad themes: comprehension of materials and techniques involved in cultural heritage; degradation mechanisms and conservation strategies and in situ experiments and mobile instrumentation. These articles, grouped together, illustrate current research in the field of innovation in art research and technology.