The Pentahelix Model: Key to Sustainable Innovation
The idea of cross-sectoral collaboration is not a new thing. In 2000, Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff introduced the triple helix model. The aim is to help governments and policymakers enhance innovation by showing the critical roles and main innovation actors.
The triple helix model revolves around three institutional entities interwoven to collaborate and innovate. First, we have the knowledge infrastructure, which mainly involves universities and education institutions — innovations sprouts from the knowledge infrastructures.
Second, there are public sectors involving governments and local organizations. Ideas and innovations are developed further by public sectors. Last, we have business sectors or often called industry sectors. Business sectors finalize and commercialize the invention to the market.
A decade later, critics and ideas on developing the model rises. One primary research from Ahonen & Hämäläinen (2012) highlighted the importance of a fourth sector model. This fourth sector can belong to NGOs, citizens, and other third sector institutions within a relevant context.
As the model stands on an open-innovation system, Ahonen & Hämäläinen argued that these fourth sectors play a role. Thus, the Quatro helix model was born.
Yet, there’s an underlying problem with the Quatro helix model. Like the triple helix, the Quatro helix is based majorly on the Nordic and developed countries. These countries mostly had well-developed welfare, market, and law systems.
The limitations of the models made them entirely redundant in other countries with different cultures and contexts. It is unsustainable and ineffective without an integrating or “catalyst” agent to connect each of them.
Interestingly, research published by PWC (2005) addressed the Quattro helix model. PWC highlighted the importance of another sector in the middle as an integrator. This middle spot is filled by “growth actors” that facilitates and encourages growth.
For example, the Swedish city of Gävle inspired the model. The city aims to enhance growth and the strategic development of their city. Thus, the city integrates itself with the other four sectors. The city government encouraged and enabled cross-sector collaboration, which eventually benefits the town.
The central sector acts as an actor that integrates and sustains the collaboration between the other four sectors. It has to be an actor that can work cross-sectors and interact with the other four sectors. The actor then accommodates and facilitates the different sectors by connecting and integrating resources from appropriate sectors.
By having this “enthusiast” as the central actor, the model can sustain innovation and ideas. People are encouraged to innovate, as the middle actor acts as a “catalyst.”
The middle actor also reduces the scope of limitations from the past models. This fifth sector can reduce or eliminate the developed countries’ restrictions.
In developing countries where cross-sectoral collaborations aren’t sufficient yet, this fifth actor maximizes each sector’s collaboration capability. The middle actor can lobby, provide insight, and demand changes to each industry to accommodate sustainable growth and collaboration.
The Founders Lab positions themselves as the middle actor. We enable and encourage cross-sectoral collaborations. As the first start-up hub, we aim to enhance our country’s innovations’ growth and sustainability.
By acting as an integrator among sectors, we can gain insights and deliver them to appropriate sectors to bolster their growth. We can demand lacking sectors to collaborate and lend resources to promote innovations.
References:
Björk, F. (2015). Penta helix: Conceptualizing cross-sector collaboration and social innovation processes — Urbinnovate. Blogg.mah.se. Retrieved 19 September 2020, from https://blogg.mah.se/urbinnovate/2015/04/27/penta-helix-conceptualizing-cross-sector-collaboration-and-social-innovation-processes/.
ETZKOWITZ, H. & LEYDESDORFF, L., 2000. The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and ‘‘Mode 2’’ to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. Research Policy 29: 109–123.
AHONEN, L., & HÄMÄLÄINEN, T., 2012. CLIQ: A practical approach to the quadruple helix and more open innovation. IN: MACGREGOR, S., & CARLETON, T., Sustaining innovation. Collaboration models in a complex world. Springer.
PWC, 2005. Cities of the future. Global competition, local leadership.
