The five-blade propeller: An evolutionary model of innovation with sustainability as the rotor (SPIRAL)

Abstract

This contribution proposes a conceptual model of innovation called the Five-Blade Propeller with Sustainability as the Rotor (SPIRAL), which constitutes a structural evolution of the Triple, Quadruple, and Quintuple Helix models. Unlike previous approaches—where actors operate horizontally and the environmental dimension appears as a context or peripheral subsystem—the SPIRAL model positions sustainability as the dynamic, normative, and regulatory axis of the innovation system. Based on a systematic review of the literature, a critical analysis of helix-based literature published between 2000 and 2025, and the integration of recent contributions from innovation ecology, regenerative economics, complex adaptive systems, and common goods governance, this article develops the conceptual, comparative, and operational contemporary challenges such as climate change, energy transition, ecological degradation, environmental justice, and digital governance. The results show that the SPIRAL model offers a more robust, coherent, and teleologically oriented framework for socio-ecological regeneration. The conclusions highlight implications for public policy, academic institutions, businesses, communities, and digital ecosystems, as well as a methodological agenda for operationalizing the model through indicators, metrics, and future empirical validations.