'Open Innovation' and 'Triple Helix' Models of Innovation: Can Synergy in Innovation Systems Be Measured?

摘要

The model of "Open Innovations" (OI) can be compared with the "Triple Helixof University-Industry-Government Relations" (TH) as attempts to find surplusvalue in bringing industrial innovation closer to public R&D. Whereas the firmis central in the model of OI, the TH adds multi-centeredness: in addition tofirms, universities and (e.g., regional) governments can take leading roles ininnovation eco-systems. In addition to the (transversal) technology transfer ateach moment of time, one can focus on the dynamics in the feedback loops. Underspecifiable conditions, feedback loops can be turned into feedforward ones thatdrive innovation eco-systems towards self-organization and the auto-catalyticgeneration of new options. The generation of options can be more important thanhistorical realizations ("best practices") for the longer-term viability ofknowledge-based innovation systems. A system without sufficient options, forexample, is locked-in. The generation of redundancy -- the Triple Helixindicator -- can be used as a measure of unrealized but technologicallyfeasible options given a historical configuration. Different coordinationmechanisms (markets, policies, knowledge) provide different perspectives on thesame information and thus generate redundancy. Increased redundancy not onlystimulates innovation in an eco-system by reducing the prevailing uncertainty;it also enhances the synergy in and innovativeness of an innovation system.