Can processes make relationships work? The Triple Helix between structure and action

Abstract

This contribution seeks to explore how complex adaptive theory can be applied at the conceptual level to unpack Triple Helix models. We use two cases to examine this issue – the Finnish Strategic Centres for Science, Technology & Innovation (SHOKs) and the Canadian Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE). Both types of centres are organisational structures that aspire to be business-led, with a considerable portion of their activities driven by (industrial) users’ interests and requirements. Reflecting on the centres’ activities along three dimensions – knowledge generation, consensus building and innovation – we contend that conceptualising the Triple Helix from a process perspective will improve the dialogue between stakeholders and shareholders.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Henry Etzkowitz for his encouragement and helpful comments. We would also like to acknowledge insightful feedback from two anonymous referees.

Notes

1. This approach focuses on the problem the new organisational form seeks to address. The second P is the people, who are the stakeholders, actors, agents, agencies and shareholders in the new hybrid form, and whose agenda is being satisfied (both overtly and covertly) by the policy. This is followed by the next P, which is for place. Place is to ascertain how much foreground and background is given to each player/agent/agency contained within the network to see who has pride of place and why. This is followed by an exploration of the actual policy-making – that is, how the policy of creating and operationalising the hybrid structure was developed and implemented. This P was not adopted for this study. Nor was the price tag P – that is, the cost of the policy options and how resources are allocated. This was because of insufficient access to policy-makers to gauge how they implemented the policy within their respective agencies. The next P of the policy circle is for paper – that is, what is actually stated in the policy about the purpose of the new organisational forms. The final two Ps are for programmes and performance – the programmes and activity that have resulted and how well they have achieved their intended goals.