The Triple Helix of university-industry-government interactions, highlighting the enhanced role of the university in the transition from industrial to knowledge-based society, has become widespread in innovation and entrepreneurship studies. We analyze classic literature and recent research, shedding light on the theoretical development of a model that has engendered controversy for being simultaneously analytical and normative, theoretical, practical and policy-relevant. We identify lacunae and suggest future analytical trajectories for theoretical development of the Triple Helix model. The explanatory power of Triple Helix has been strengthened by integrating various social science concepts, e.g. Simmel’s triad, Schumpeter’s organizational entrepreneur, institutional logics and social networks, into its framework. As scholars and practitioners from various disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research fields, e.g. artificial intelligence, political theory, sociology, professional ethics, higher education, regional geography and organizational behavior join Triple Helix studies or find their perspectives integrated, new directions appear for Triple Helix research.

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While there is a common belief among policymakers and academics around the world that Triple Helix relationships between university, industry and government provide optimal conditions for innovation, it should be noted that the Triple Helix concept has been developed from the experience of advanced economies in the West. There is a lack of theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on whether the Triple Helix model is applicable in non-Western contexts. Following the understanding that the evolution of an ideal Triple Helix model is facilitated by certain institutional logics in Western societies, this paper takes China as an example to examine how the institutional logics in China are different from those of the West and how the institutional logics in China would promote or impede the development of the Triple Helix model in China in light of an extensive review of the relevant literature and policy documents. The study suggests that to optimise the Chinese innovation policies, China needs on the one hand to adjust some elements of its institutional environment to facilitate the interactions between key innovation actors and on the other hand to be innovative in developing its own Triple Helix modes given the unique Chinese institutional environment which will persist in the foreseeable future.

While the Triple Helix relationship between university, industry and government, called 'innovation in innovation' by Etzkowitz, has frequently been a key concept guiding national and regional innovation policies around the world, there is an emerging awareness that no one-size-fits-all approach can be used in developing innovation systems. Criticism has been expressed that the conceptualization of the Triple Helix model in the most recent literature pays little attention to contextual effects. The present article seeks to enhance the context sensitivity of the Triple Helix model by integrating it with the insights of institutional logics. More specifically, seven 'ideal' institutional logics aligned with 'ideal' Triple Helix activities in Western society are identified. These have a potential to be used as a conceptual/benchmarking framework for understanding how institutional settings, particularly institutional logics, influence the development of Triple Helix innovation systems in different national contexts. To verify such a proposition, some alternative Triple Helix models as well as associated institutional logics are compared to the ideal-type, demonstrating that different institutional logics may divert the Triple Helix interactions in other directions. Meanwhile, it is claimed that institutional logics do not necessarily lead to a Triple Helix model but serve only as enabling conditions. To what extent the Triple Helix will be developed depends on innovation policies and on the key actors involved in the innovation process. The framework constructed in this study aims to provide a solid basis from which policymakers, especially those from developing and transition countries, may improve the design of these innovation policies by employing appropriate Triple Helix approaches. RésuméAlors que la relation de Triple Hélice entre l'université, l'industrie et l'Etat, appelée 'innovation dans l'innovation' par Etzkowitz, a très souvent été un concept-clé pour guider les politiques d'innovation régionales et nationales dans le monde entier, on commence à prendre conscience que l'on ne peut pas n'utiliser qu'une seule et unique approche pour développer des systèmes d'innovation. On a par exemple critiqué le fait que la conceptualisation du modèle Triple Hélice dans la littérature récente ne prenait que peu en compte les effets du contexte. L'article tente d'améliorer la prise en compte du contexte dans le modèle Triple Hélice en y intégrant des éléments de logiques institutionnelles. Plus spécifiquement, sept logiques institutionnelles 'idéales' alignées sur des activités de Triple Hélice 'idéales' ont été identifiées. Celles-ci ont le potentiel pour être utilisées comme cadre conceptuel/d'analyse comparative pour comprendre comment les paramètres institutionnels, en particulier les logiques institutionnelles, influencent le développement de systèmes d'innovation de type Triple Hélice dans des contextes nationaux différents. Pour vérifier cette proposition, des modèles alternatifs de Triple Hélice et les logique...