Triple Helix Context Research Articles

The Managerial challenges and main barriers in universities within the Triple Helix context

The Triple Helix model of innovation is unquestionably the most discussed model for innovation in both developed and developing countries. This model advocates reinforcement of the cooperation between the university, business and government. The world is changing rapidly; consequently, this innovation model is mutating by taking different forms of interactions and collaborating under various conditions, posing various challenges and barriers toward three agents’ interactions. There have been many studies on three helices relationships type, three actors` interaction cases and main challenges. However, few studies concerning the Triple Helix model examined the managerial challenges in academia in realizing the Triple Helix Model and University-Industry linkages. A significant role is imposed on universities as the primary source of new knowledge, ideas, creativity and innovation. To push forward the strengthening of the university-industry collaborations within the Triple Helix model in universities of Kazakhstan, we aimed to define the main managerial challenges and barriers in other developing countries in this model realization. As a result, the systematic literature review displayed many challenging aspects in the universities’ micro-level management and the main difficulties of university-industry collaborations. Key words: triple helix, university-industry collaborations, managerial issues.

Mathematical reflections on Triple Helix calculations

We provide details about how to calculate mutual information in the Triple Helix context. The underlying entropy measures are described as functions working on empirical discrete stochastic variables. The associated Triple Helix transformation is shown to be nonlinear.

Study Program Innovation in the Triple Helix Context: The Case of Cooperative Study Programs at a German University of Applied Sciences

The purpose of this article is to understand how Triple Helix linkages foster study program innovation at the micro-level and how the entrepreneurial university shapes support structures and processes to foster this innovation at the meso-level. We draw on the case of cooperative study programs from a German university of applied sciences. We selected business administration and nursing as two different disciplinary examples. Cooperative study programs are delivered partly at university and partly in industry and illustrate the hybridity that shapes the knowledge transfer at a university. Our study draws on semi-structured interviews with professors, industry representatives, students and policy makers as well as on pertinent documents. Our data show that Triple-Helix interactions generate program innovations and, depending on the discipline, have a focus on a Double Helix. In addition, the study shows the processes and their limitations by which teaching is transferred in partnership with industry in the entrepreneurial university context.

The Triple Helix Frame Contributes to Strategic Innovation in Nearshore Wind Park Ecosystems

This research shows how port authorities in a triple helix context can contribute to strategic innovation with reduction of Levelized Cost of Energy in nearshore wind park ecosystems. The empirical qualitative case study was conducted from September 2017 to June 2018 with a port and a nearshore wind park owner and a logistic business actor operating on land and one operating at sea. Individual interviews and three joint network meetings provided data for the research. The findings reveal that port authorities in triple helix contexts can contribute to strategic innovation through use of the cross-disciplinary trinity of ‘organization’, ‘business model innovation’ and ‘financial cash flow’ to address value creation on project ecosystem level. The findings are summarized in a model for overview on the shift in interest and the basic understanding of flow. It is shown that the triple helix discussions provide a meaningful frame to achieve strategic innovation for competitive advantage of renewable wind energy ecosystem.Keywordsstrategic innovation – ecosystems – renewable energy – offshore wind parks

Research Approaches to Technology Transfer in the Triple Helix Context: A Bibliometric Analysis

Research Approaches to Technology Transfer in the Triple Helix Context: A Bibliometric Analysis

Academic institutional entrepreneurs in Germany: navigating and shaping multi-level research commercialization governance

In this article, we aim to explore the agency of scientific entrepreneurs and research managers in shaping their Triple Helix contexts. Drawing on institutional documents and in-depth interviews with research managers and scientists in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the study shows that trust in scientific entrepreneurs from research managers, their scientific standing and leadership, and type of academic entrepreneurship are central in shaping the Triple Helix relationships. Research managers frame themselves as passive service-providers for scientists’ commercialization activities while scientists see them as facilitating creative employment arrangements. Research managers perceive scientists as self-motivated highly creative risk-takers. The studied scientific entrepreneurs negotiate their institutional arrangements and find flexible solutions for the structural barriers within their research organisations. At the same time, they tend to avoid taking personal risks when it comes to contractual arrangements and their careers.The study identifies two types of agency exerted to shape the Triple Helix context—bricolage and institutional entrepreneurship. Bricolage activities and the trust of research managers in the leadership and autonomy of scientific entrepreneurs prepare the basis for institutional change. This can be the ground for institutional entrepreneurship to take place and reshape the Triple Helix relationships in the particular context.

European business venturing in times of digitisation - an analysis of for-profit business incubators in a triple helix context

European business venturing in times of digitisation - an analysis of for-profit business incubators in a triple helix context

European business venturing in times of digitisation - an analysis of for-profit business incubators in a triple helix context

Business incubators have been developed as a key component of entrepreneurial activities in countries all over Europe. These incubators have a non-profit or a for-profit profile, with one-third located in Germany. The increased engagement of private business in what was a public-dominated incubation landscape may influence established theoretical frameworks. Within this context, this paper analyses 11 German business incubators to look at the most common types of for-profit business incubators in Germany and their main characteristics. Moreover, it introduces classification criteria for these incubators. Another aspect of the analysis is the effect of the triple helix dimensions of the different incubation types. The results show that two additional types of incubators can be identified in addition to the traditional public business incubator model, namely 'company builders' and 'accelerators'. Implications for research and practice, as well as directions for future research, are also discussed.

Measuring the expected synergy in Spanish regional and national systems of innovation

This paper examines the effect of synergy at the geographical, technological, and organizational levels on the structure of the innovative system in Spain. Using a unique dataset of more than one million firms in 2010 across geographic regions in Spain, it empirically estimates the synergy within and across regions and sectors. The key findings indicate that Spain’s innovation system is largely decentralized into more regionalized systems with the strongest role played by the metropolitan areas. The results have policy implications for Spain as well as other nations and intra-country regions. The paper contributes to the extant literature related to innovation systems in three ways: first, by using a more novel approach adapting the triple helix context; second, by providing empirical evidence on the importance of synergy in influencing the structure of a national innovation system; and third, by providing a case study of Spain.

Dividedness and the Expected Synergy in a Non-Linear Model of Spanish Regional and National Systems of Innovation

This paper examines the effect of synergy at the geographical, technological, and organizational levels on the structure of the innovative system in Spain. Using a unique dataset of more than one million firms in 2010 across geographic regions in Spain, it empirically estimates the synergy within and across regions and sectors. The key findings indicate that Spain's innovation system is largely decentralized into more regionalized systems with the strongest role played by the metropolitan areas. The results have policy implications for Spain as well as other nations and intra-country regions. The paper contributes to the extant literature related to innovation systems in three ways: first, by using a more novel approach adapting the triple helix context; second, by providing empirical evidence on the importance of synergy in influencing the structure of a national innovation system; and third, by providing a case study of Spain.

Extending community management to industry‐university‐government organizations

There has been an emergence of collaborative research networks of industry‐university‐government relationships, or so‐called Triple Helix (TH) organizations. Many TH organizations strive for research and innovation community management. In the innovation and knowledge management literature, community management offers open, participatory, and distributed innovation processes. How community management elements manifest, how they evolve, and what are related contingencies remain poorly understood, especially in the case of TH organizations. Our study examines how two TH organizations in Finland have adopted community management elements, how these elements have evolved, and the contingencies that have affected adoption and evolution. We report on the first 6 years of operations in two different TH organizations. Community‐management elements have accommodated divergent interests in TH organizations, but they have also been subject to considerable degrees of conflict and tension. We extend the innovation community management literature by explicating community management elements in a TH context, we illustrate how TH organizations adopt and evolve these elements, and we identify two contingencies for community management elements in a TH context.

The triple helix frame for small- and medium-sized enterprises for innovation and development of offshore wind energy

This research reveals how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can enable innovation and contribute to a reduction in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in offshore wind farms. The research provides findings from a longitudinal qualitative study of 10 SMEs for the understanding of the impact from integrating SMEs in a triple helix context. The triple helix approach with government, university and industry participants typically include larger organisations. The research indicates that SMEs could join the triple helix and both contribute and receive benefit from their presence. The findings show that SMEs need access to market and industry stakeholders to understand, learn and select among business innovation opportunities. Universities, governmental bodies and industries can create a knowledge space for organisational reciprocal learning between SMEs and larger enterprises to enable innovation for the reduction of the LCOE in the wind farm industry. This knowledge space also provides important insight and understanding for the governmental and university helices for active contribution to offshore wind energy. The governmental policy impact stresses the need for a more strategic long-term support of industry knowledge spaces for offshore wind energy. Governmental bodies would actively enhance political growth strategies regulating competition and collaboration. Universities can contribute actively towards knowledge creation and dissemination. All three helices could benefit from this approach to SMEs. Further research needs to be conducted on SMEs in the triple helix context.

Government and Governance of Regional Triple Helix Interactions

This conceptual paper contributes to the discussion of the role of regional government and regional Triple Helix constellations driving economic development and growth within regional boundaries. The impact of regionalism and subsidiarity on regional Triple Helix constellations, and the questions of governmentality, governance and institutional development at the regional level, were investigated. It is emphasized that the position of regional authorities in the structure of government and policy boundaries is best implemented at the regional level (the principles of regionalism and subsidiarity), and that localized policy practices represent a more precise view of government–industry– university interactions (the principle of governmentality). In addition, the regional Triple Helix context as a prerequisite for stakeholder engagement, enhancing innovation capabilities and entrepreneurial behaviour, was studied. The paper identifies the drivers behind regional competitiveness and economic development and investigates the positive externalities from strong Triple Helix constellations, as well as the impact of government support and institutionalized cooperation on value creation and value capture at the level of the locale. The paper offers a stylized model of the conditions for value creation and value capture, and presents a critical overview of the debates about the rationale for regional governments. Examples are drawn from Scotland, England and other, comparable parts of Europe.

'Östgöta Textile' an innovative network in a triple helix logic - towards peer incubating

This paper tells the story of a group of small, creative firms collaborating in a regional network and forming an association to promote growth. The network is a triple helix context and supports the firms to growth through what we call a peer-incubating process. This article builds on an action-research project supporting the development of the association and the network ‘Ostgota Textile’. The analysis of the Ostgota Textile network shows that the local and low-tech firms have received critical support from the academic and governmental networks during the formative process. The main conclusion and implication is that by supporting a triple helix network, even in other sectors than traditional high tech industries, entrepreneurial activities and growth can lead to growth in small firms.

Embeddedness levels in Central and East European countries as revealed by patent-related indicators

Central and East European countries (CEECs) still show many features of the Soviet era. Consequently, the region seems, in several ways, to have been shaped by a single universal phase of transformation. This explains, at least in part, the relatively weak patenting activities and innovation performance of these countries. This paper deals with quantitative information originating from a newly created databank and investigates CEECs, employing various patent indicators in a Triple Helix context. New member states of the European Union (EU) from CEECs accounted for less than 1% of European patents between 1990 and 2006. This figure does not improve if patent applications are normalised according to population, and the number of patents registered in the region has evolved very little over the years. Analysing the relationships among old and new member states of the EU and their regions in terms of citations shows the pattern of intellectual linkages within Europe quite clearly. Even if CEECs feature relatively rarely in cited European publications, there are still 43 CEE affiliations recorded among the top 500 in Europe (ranked by performance). Intellectual linkages are still weak (both within the CEE area and among old and new EU member states and their regions), and the citation pattern clearly shows the importance of externally derived knowledge for CEE countries. Self-citation highlights the weakness of scientific impulses from the immediate environment to patenting activity. A very low level of self-citation may be indicative not only of low capabilities in terms of knowledge production, but also of a basic weakness in knowledge dissemination and absorption. In this respect, CEE universities have not yet shown themselves to be strong regional innovation organisers.

Creating a knowledge transfer environment

PurposeTo evaluate the science and technology (S&T) development framework within Estonia, a small transition country, and its biotechnology sector.Design/methodology/approachIn the general overview the main concepts, actors and environment of S&T system in the triple helix context are analyzed. The empirical study explores the general research and development (R&D) environment of Estonia and particularly the biotechnology sector by mapping the actors, strategy of companies (all small and medium‐sized enterprises – SMEs), innovation processes and related expenditures of the public sector and private businesses.FindingsThe study results indicate the ratio of basic and applied research, and product/service development in the gross R&D funding structure in Estonia to be 3:3:4; in the biotechnology sector this ratio is 11:5:1. The structure of research expenditure in the public sector mostly reflects the success of Estonian biosciences rather than the success of biotech as a business sector.Practical implicationsWays for improving the S&T system are suggested.Originality/valueMapping the actors, and measurement of the structure of the R&D expenses in the Estonian biotech sector and in SMEs in particular.

From national to regional approach in R&D policies: the case of Italy

Following the recent changes in the institutional framework (devolution), the Italian regional governments are assuming a new and growing role in R&D support. This evolution however is not well determined and could cause some conflicts between the national and regional level, especially in the area where science policies are being formulated. This paper analyses the new regional policies covering this matter, the local initiatives in the Triple-Helix context and the future consequences on the national innovation system.

Towards hybrid Triple Helix indicators: A study of university-related patents and a survey of academic inventors

This paper presents work directed at capturing the entrepreneurial and collaborative activity of university researchers. The Triple Helix points to the emergence of the entrepreneurial university as well as to an increasing overlay of activities in universities, industry and government. This study explores ways in which patent-based metrics could be utilized in a Triple Helix context, and how hybrid indicators could be developed by combining patent with survey data. More specifically, it aims to develop indicators that connect technological inventiveness of university researchers to both funding organizations and users, as well as to entrepreneurial activities by academics. The paper develops a simplified model of the innovation process to benchmark the relevance of the indicators to the Triple Helix. An analysis of Finnish academic patents illustrates that patent data can already provide useful indicators but, on its own, cannot provide information about how academic patents are interconnected with government or industry through funding or utilization links. An exclusive analysis of patents can point to patent concentrations on certain universities, to inventors and assignees, or to potential gaps in translating applied science into industrial technology. However, the patent data had to be combined with an inventor survey in order to relate academic patents more to their Triple Helix environment. The survey indicated that most patented academic inventions are connected to (often publicly funded) scientific research by the inventors and tend to be utilized in large firms rather than in start-up companies founded by academic entrepreneurs.

Synthesis of 4-guanidinopyrimidine nucleosides for triple helix-mediated guanine and cytosine recognition

Recognition of DNA sequences by triple helix-forming oligonucleotides is restricted to homopurine sequences. Based on geometrical considerations, a single nucleoside, 4-guanidinocytidine 1, was designed to recognize both guanosine (as the natural 1β anomer) and cytidine (as the 1α anomer) in a new triple helix context where the third strand is centered in the major groove of the target duplex. Several methods of synthesis of this nucleoside are described.