"While a Storm is Raging on the Open Sea": Regional Development in a Knowledge-based Economy

TL;DR

This paper develops a systemic model of the Triple Helix to analyze knowledge-based economic development, integrating innovation systems with market dynamics and introducing mutual information as an indicator of network self-organization.

Contribution

It introduces a probabilistic entropy-based measure for the self-organization of innovation networks within the Triple Helix framework, linking knowledge production and economic dynamics.

Findings

Mutual information can be negative in knowledge-based configurations.

Proximity increases the likelihood of technological coupling.

The knowledge base acts as a second-order interaction among institutional interfaces.

Abstract

The Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations is elaborated into a systemic model that accounts for interactions among three dimensions. By distinguishing between the respective micro-operations, this model enables us to recombine the "Mode 2" thesis of a new production of scientific knowledge and the study of systems of innovation with the neo-classical perspective on the dynamics of the market. The mutual information in three dimensions provides us with an indicator for the self-organization of the resulting network systems. The probabilistic entropy in this mutual information can be negative in knowledge-based configurations. The knowledge base of an economy can be considered as a second-order interaction effect among interactions at interfaces between institutions and functions in different spheres. Proximity enhances the chances for couplings and, therefore, the formation of technological trajectories. The next-order regime of the knowledge base, however, can be expected to remain pending as selection pressure.