October 18-20 | Tucson, AZ

The Research Institution GAP Fund and Accelerator Program Summit

Innovating How We Innovate: The Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations | Wilson Center

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October 23-25, 2024 / Atlanta, GA

The annual summit for research institution gap fund and accelerator programs, including proof of concept programs, startup accelerators, and university venture funds

The Story

The United States’ scientific leadership is in question, particularly when compared to countries like China which exceeds the US in total R&D expenditure. Scientific leadership is beneficial for national security, economic growth, and stability, developing global ethics and standards. Given the need for a robust innovation and research system in the United States, many experts are questioning why we are not keeping apace.

Part of this could be that the underpinning policies informing the US innovation system date back to World War II. During World War II, the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), led by Vannevar Bush, used federal funding to coordinate scientific research for the war effort. As a part of this, Bush wrote a report entitled “Science, the Endless Frontier” which became “the blueprint for post war science in America” per a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research report.

The model was designed to be simple. As described in Issues in Science and Technology, Bush assumed a linear model of innovation. In this model, the federal government funds university researchers who generate knowledge by performing ‘basic’ research. Industry then takes that research to turn it into products. This model has become known as the Triple Helix Model, as it combines three key stakeholders woven together to create the ‘DNA’ of scientific innovation and are key to innovation in a knowledge-based economy: universities, government, and industry.

But this is not 1945. Even twenty years ago, Henry Etzkowiz and Loet Leydesdorff argued that “…the sources of innovation in a Triple Helix configuration are no longer synchronized a priori. They do not fit together in a pregiven order, but they generate puzzles for participants, analysts, and policymakers to solve.” Here, we will explore the changes that have taken place in the key partners of the Triple Helix Model and highlight ways to update our innovation models today.

Full story: Innovating How We Innovate: The Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations | Wilson Center

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