Social Innovation in Rural Taiwan: The Case of a Public-Private Partnership

Abstract

How can governments, universities, and industries collaborate to create new value through new business models for service-based businesses? To answer this question, this paper takes a qualitative approach based on a three-year longitudinal study of a triple helix-structured public-private partnership (PPP) in Yilan county, Taiwan. In this case, the entrepreneurship initiative of a university-based non-profit organization connected the local government, the tourism and taxi industries, and community stakeholders with the aim of implementing a new business model for rural taxi tourism. Examining the use of advanced technology as a tool for efficient business delivery, this study demonstrates how new business models can reconnect stakeholders and redefine the taxi and tourism businesses while also enhancing the roles and careers of service providers. Making use of data from three years of field study, this paper puts forth a number of ideas with regard to what can be changed in the PPP structure such that it more effectively results in value creation for each of the participating partners. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed at the end of the paper.