The exploration of The Triple Helix concept in terms of entrepreneurial universities and corporate innovation

Abstract

University-industry-innovation networks (UIINs) are made up of entrepreneurial higher education institutions, industry and government. Universities such as Scotland’s Strathclyde University, which was the entrepreneurial university of 2013 in the UK, organise themselves as co-productive institutions by means of technology transfer offices (TTOs), innovation centres and a variation of offices for knowledge transfer and university-business-co-operation (UBC). Such a network is referred to as the triple helix approach/concept/model of co-operation between industry, universities and government, with the aim of building an enterprising state in which these partners co-innovate in order to solve global economic challenges. The global economy faces multiple challenges represented by indicators such as the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) spiralling health-care needs, unemployment, un-sustainable changes to the environment and rapidly emerging digital business models. Most universities promote academic engagement with industry for various reasons (e.g. to generate a third stream of income). The effective management of triple helix takes UBC to the next level in terms of a formal prominent mission for the university. This article broadly describes the triple helix concept and analyses several international cases. The three main objectives of this article are to: 1) explore triple helix and the related concepts such as UBC and TTO; 2) determine the leading stakeholders of the triple helix model; 3) conduct a content analysis of triple helix case studies (45) in four groups, namely (1) national innovation strategies, (2) entrepreneurial universities, (3) entrepre-neurship education, and (4) new initiatives, frameworks and technologies.