Carlos Rodrigues

The triple helix model as a motor for the creative use of telematics

Abstract This paper opposes the view which points to the declining importance of nation states and the elimination of space and territory as an effect of the increased trends towards globalisation. The argument has its foundations in the evolutionary approach of economic development and argues that the importance of the national level grows within a globalised world which is becoming increasingly complex, disorganised and, simultaneously, monotonous. Monotony can be reduced through the emergence of national diversity based on specific development paths of spatially defined regional economic systems, in which creativeness and selective capacity generate innovation and replication processes. National and regional productive systems must be organised according to a triple helix model of institutional networking. This model can be applied to the particular case of developing economies based on traditional and mature sectors. These economies can start a catching up process by becoming creative users of technology and advanced users of telematics. The theoretical framework is used to discuss the innovative capacity of the Portuguese economy and to point out some solutions to overcome barriers to innovation.

The Triple Helix Model as an Instrument of Local Response to the Economic Crisis

In an attempt to overcome the impact of the economic crisis that emerged in 2007–2008, the triple helix model (THM) is increasingly being used as an inspiration source for local development policy, even though many localities and regions have not been able to create and sustain the innovation dynamics and sub-dynamics described and prescribed by the model. In fact, in less-advanced contexts, an adaptation and simplification of the THM to the local conditions and practice is likely to occur. Based on semi-structured interviews and direct observation of the evolution of a THM-driven local development environment in a Portuguese small municipality, the authors claim that when the originally complex model is simplified, it seems to be able to mobilize local innovation agents, to legitimize policy efforts and to improve coherence between different policy strands affecting innovation. Even though deprived of its conceptual complexity, the simplified THM may be an effective framework for less-advanced economies to promote innovation and counteract the effects of the economic crisis.

Contrast of polychromatic speckle patterns and its dependence to surface heights distribution

A polychromatic speckle pattern can be understood as an addition of N independent speckle patterns. We use the simple model for polychromatic speckle contrast, with some modifications, to evaluate the number of independent speckle patterns that contribute in the image plane. These speckle patterns may have different mean intensities depending on the surface heights distribution function. We derive a formula for the addition of multiple independent speckle patterns with different mean intensities and calculate the contrast for a surface with Gaussian statistics versus a surface with uniform distribution of the surface heights.

Innovative Universities and Regional Institutional Capacity Building. The Case of Aveiro, Portugal.

This paper explores the experience of the University of Aveiro in attempting to promote a favourable environment for innovation in the Portuguese industrial region in which it is located. The authors first discuss the barriers faced by peripheral regions in their attempts to establish the continuous interactive process that feeds innovation. They then highlight the role played in such regions by higher education institutions (HEIs) as the main sources of knowledge, and as crucial agents in fostering the social learning processes needed to sustain regional competitiveness. Against this background, the organizational challenges and requirements associated with the role of HEIs in peripheral regions are explored. Finally, the authors emphasize the need for specifically designed intermediate structures linking academia and society and, using the case of Aveiro, examine the process of institutional innovation and learning.

Universities and Innovation in Regional Strategic Planning Culture. The Need for a Broader Analytical Framework for University-Industry Linkages.

The relevance of university-industry relationships to economic development is matched by the prolific research work that has been carried out on the interaction between the academic sector and productive systems. However, this research is almost exclusively focused on technology transfer. Considering the context of the emerging knowledge-driven economy in which institutional capacity emerges as a major competitive factor, this paper argues that there is a need to broaden the analytical framework in relation to university-industry links. This argument is based on the perception that universities can play a major role in building regional institutional capacity. The case of the University of Aveiro is explored to illustrate this additional dimension of university-industry interaction.

The Fourth Helix in Smart Specialization Strategies: The Gap Between Discourse and Practice

Despite the academic and political discourses regarding smart specialization strategies and the entrepreneurial ecosystems, particularly underlining the additional role of society (“knowledge society”) referred by the quadruple-helix model, literature is more fragile in assessing the dilemmas it poses. Although innovation is regarded as an essential tool in European policy for the 2014–2020 period and considered as instrumental for the promotion of economic growth and employment, this cannot be considered with disregard to the specific territorial resources, governance and institutional capacity of each region. This chapter seeks to address these gaps in literature. Empirically, it presents an in-depth case study of a particular regional setting (the Region of Aveiro in Portugal) and the process that led to the definition of its Territorial Development Strategy for the 2014–2020 period. Within this backdrop, this chapter also strives to shed light on the current debate on regional governance.