As the study of innovation ecosystems continues to evolve, driven by global challenges that demand increasingly sophisticated collaborative frameworks, this edition of the Triple Helix journal arrives at a pivotal moment. The Triple Helix model, a time-tested approach to fostering innovation through synergistic relationships among academia, industry, and government, faces both renewed validation and the need for ongoing theoretical refinement. As we curate this collection of research, we recognize that the nature of innovation and its institutional arrangements continue to expand beyond traditional boundaries. This expansion requires the scholarly community to deepen its conceptual toolkits and methodological approaches in order to better understand and shape the future of collaborative innovation.
In this dynamic context, both the Triple Helix Association (THA) and the journal are themselves evolving. Under the leadership of Professor Moacir Miranda de Oliveira Jr., the THA has reorganized its chapter structure and launched a new monthly newsletter to better serve its community. The journal has also strengthened its editorial leadership with the appointment of a third co-editor, Professor Josep Miquel Piqué Huerta of La Salle Barcelona â Ramon Llull University. As president of the La Salle Technova technology park and a former president of the THA, Professor Piqué brings an extraordinary professional background that will undoubtedly enrich our editorial direction. We are also pleased to report that the journal maintains a Q2 ranking in both the Web of Science and Scopus, with a 2024 CiteScore of 4.4 and an Impact Factor of 3.1, reflecting its sustained influence in the field.
A timely focal point for these discussions was the XXIII Triple Helix Conference, held in October 2025 at Tecnológico de Monterrey. Organized under the thematic umbrella of âClusters of Innovation: Building Resilient Ecosystems for Prosperity and Sustainable Progress,â the conference provided a forum for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to engage with these fundamental questions. The emphasis on resilience signals a critical shift in innovation studies â from viewing ecosystems primarily through the lenses of efficiency and growth to recognizing their essential role in navigating global uncertainty, geopolitical fragmentation, and urgent sustainability imperatives. This reframing suggests that the coming decade will require innovative models that are not only productive but also adaptive, inclusive, and oriented toward meaningful societal transformation. The conference featured a creative and practice-oriented format, including two full-day workshops led by Professor Jerome Engel (University of California, Berkeley) and Professors Josep Piqué and Carina Rapetti, which focused on practical tools for fostering and orchestrating innovative environments. A special issue featuring selected high-quality contributions from the conference will be published soon.
Contributions in This Issue and Horizons Ahead
This edition brings together scholarship that engages with multiple dimensions of these evolving debates, ranging from the theoretical foundations of Triple Helix research to applied investigations of how specific ecosystems mobilize collaboration for social and economic development.
The first paper, âAdvancing Higher Education Sustainability: An Assessment of the Sustainable Entrepreneurial University Framework in Finnish Institutionsâ by Siro Pina-Cardona and six co-authors, operationalizes the Sustainable Entrepreneurial University (SEU) framework. Their study assesses the sustainability and entrepreneurship orientation in a sample of Finnish research-intensive universities and offers a practical model for integrating sustainability into the core of academic entrepreneurship.
The second article, âAn Exploratory Study of the Spanish Industrial Doctoral Training Programme: The First Cohort Follow-Upâ by Susana Pablo Hernando and MarÃa Teresa Zamarro Molina, examines the Spanish Industrial Doctoral Training Programme (SIDTP). This paper analyzes a cooperative policy initiative targeting small- to medium-sized enterprises, highlighting how interaction among the three helices is critical to the successful implementation of doctoral training programs that bridge academia and industry.
The third contribution, âInnovation Support Services of Technology Parks: Towards a Frameworkâ by Marina Bastos Carvalhais Barroso, Ricardo Neres Rodrigues, Ari Rodrigues Pinto da Silva Júnior, and Raoni Barros Bagno, investigates the managerial-level innovation support services provided by technology parks. The authors position technology parks as key innovation intermediaries that orchestrate innovation ecosystems, providing a framework for understanding their strategic role.
The fourth article, âMaking the Third Mission Work at the Graduate School of Education: A Leadership and Agency Perspectiveâ by Murat Akpinar, explores the challenges of implementing the universityâs third mission within a specific academic context. The paper adopts a leadership and agency perspective on overcoming these challenges, offering valuable insights for university administrators and policymakers.
The final paper, âBlockchain-Based Intellectual Property Tokenization and the Evolution of the Triple Helix: Extending the Model for Digital Innovation Platformsâ by Andreas Peters, extends Triple Helix theory by introducing Distributed Innovation Governance, a coordination mode that transcends traditional boundaries through algorithmic mediation, multi-stakeholder value creation, and emergent governance.
Looking forward, we anticipate several critical areas that will command scholarly attention. First, how innovation ecosystems can be designed and managed to support not only technological advancement, but also genuinely inclusive development remains insufficiently theorized. Second, the relationship between the health of an innovation ecosystem and broader institutional quality â including democratic governance, the rule of law, and social equity â requires deeper empirical and conceptual investigation. Third, as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing reshape society, there is an urgent need for analytical frameworks that are neither technologically deterministic nor dismissive of innovationâs potential to address profound human challenges.
The Triple Helix model offers a valuable integrative framework for addressing these questions. At the same time, the journal remains committed to rigorous and critical engagement with the model itself â examining its limits, exploring its theoretical foundations, and testing its applicability across diverse contexts. Innovation is neither inevitable nor predetermined in any direction. The ecosystems we study are sites of contestation, negotiation, and collective choice regarding the futures we seek to construct. We invite our scholarly community to bring this reflexive sensibility to the research we publish and the conversations we facilitate.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the authors, reviewers, and the editorial team whose dedication makes this journal a meaningful venue for advancing innovation studies. We also acknowledge our vibrant scholarly community and warmly invite you to participate in our forthcoming events. Firstly, the Triple Helix Summit will take place in Abu Dhabi from April 21â23, 2026, and will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates University. Subsequently, the XXIV Triple Helix Conference will be held from November 14â16, 2026, in Hong Kong. Hosted by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), he conference will be jointly organized with the 3rd GRIFE Annual Conference under the theme âCo-Creating Resilient Futures: Rethinking Education, Innovation, and Society.â As a flagship event celebrating the 10th anniversary of EdUHK, the conference promises a rich and impactful exchange of ideas. We encourage you to save the date and look forward to welcoming you to these significant gatherings as we continue to explore and shape the future of innovation.
