  Among the recent advances and innovations in wireless technologies,
reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have received much attention and are
envisioned to be one of the enabling technologies for beyond 5G (B5G) networks.
On the other hand, active (or classical) cooperative relays have played a key
role in providing reliable and power-efficient communications in previous
wireless generations. In this article, we focus on hybrid network architectures
that amalgamate both active relays and RISs. The operation concept and
protocols of each technology are first discussed. Subsequently, we present
multiple use cases of cooperative hybrid networks where both active relays and
RISs can coexist harmoniously for enhanced rate performance. Furthermore, a
case study is provided which demonstrates the achievable rate performance of a
communication network assisted by either an active relay, an RIS, or both, and
with different relaying protocols. Finally, we provide the reader with the
challenges and key research directions in this area.
