The Quintuple HELIX Innovation Model: Cooperation for E-Services Development and Education of Society. A Case Study in Latvia

Abstract

The Helix innovation model has been in development for over 20 years and has gone through several development stages, from the Triple Helix innovation model at the beginning of the nineties, the Quadruple Helix innovation model, and then to the Quintuple Helix model as a driver for innovation in several fields of development. The author of this article analyses the usage of the Helix models for the development of innovative services in one project in Latvia, where the successful cooperation between two universities from Latvia and Lithuania, a small innovative enterprise, local and national media, a municipal organization, and a professional non-governmental organization, brought about excellent results. The article, analyses the main methods of cooperation for the creation of innovation products and the education of society in order to use the created electronic services developed for the inhabitants of a regional town in Latvia. The author describes the main roles of the partners in the project and the communication between the partners, the methods used for communication, and highlights the points of societal education and the involvement of all parties in this process. As the results of this project were being finalized, recommendations were made for cooperation between municipal and commercial enterprises. Together, with the participation of universities, non-governmental organizations and the mass media, the development of services would be an important process for the rural regions of Latvia, to become more active in the knowledge base and in the development of the smart economy. Each of the partner organizations had a specific role in the project, and a positive influence on the successful result of the project and of the benefits to everyone, and society in general.