The Triple Helix and its Intervention in the Research and Development of Products for International Security and Defense

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the concepts and relationships of the Triple Helix Model (THM) proposed by Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff as applied to international security and defense and the contribution of THM to the development of knowledge-based economies. The method used was a qualitative, descriptive analysis, reviewing reliable scientific sources and official web pages of countries and organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The results showed that the generation of capacities in Science, Technology, and Innovation lead to assets in security and defense and the systemic development of products and innovative initiatives, creating a virtuous circle that allows universities, states and firms, to evolve basing their growth on the development of knowledge. Finally, as a conclusion it was found that investment in research and development in defense and security, articulated with the actors of the Triple Helix, is a driver of technological change that strengthen the concept of knowledge-based economies in the countries that achieve this articulation, as evidenced in the cases analyzed.