The Role of the Triple Helix Model in Sustaining the Regional Economic Development

Abstract

This paper highlights the contribution of the triple helix model in sustaining the processes of economic development at the regional level. The first part presents the triple helix system components intensively analysed in the international literature in this field, emphasizing the main conditions that must be met for the development of this model. The second part focuses on the regional strategies developed around the triple helix model based on a set of successful interactions among academia, industry and authorities, such as clusters and special economic zones. Considering the almost three decades of theoretical and practical experiences, there are highlighted a few successful examples implemented in a few countries with different economic potential. This is a way to demonstrate that all these actors have believed and supported this partnership and now they are able to reap the positive effects. A series of arguments are offered in favour of supporting the development of local collaborative structures, such as clusters and special economic zones, including them into the regional development strategies. The last part of the paper reveals a successful collaborative example from Romania, where the model was developed in an extended quadruple form. Besides, there are revealed the forward steps and initiatives prepared to be taken in order to improve the conditions for the implementation of this collaborative model into Romanian environment.

Keywords

• university
• innovation
• economic development collaborative
• cluster
• special economic zone