The Triple Helix in transition economies and Skolkovo: a Russian innovation ecosystem case

Public administrations undertake initiatives to foster knowledge ecosystems in scientific and technology hotspots. It is assumed that innovation ecosystems will create value networks through which participants can develop and commercialize their value propositions. Value networks refer to innovation ecosystems where the final product or service is offered by a constellation of businesses that complement each other. The innovation ecosystems literature suggests that innovation ecosystems lead to competitive advantages for each of the partners in the ecosystem, creating value for all its actors. Based on a longitudinal case study of the Skolkovo Innovation Center with more than 3000 innovative startups in the Moscow district in Russia, this study explores how value is created in innovation ecosystems in transition economies and the roles of the contributing stakeholders. Through a longitudinal case study and using the Triple Helix framework, this study finds that in transition economies, the state tends to undertake the leading role in establishing the pillars of innovation ecosystems, followed by solid support from state-related industry partners, being the role of universities underrepresented in the initial stages of the ecosystem development. These findings refine the applicability of the triple helix model in transition economies by adjusting the weighting of the different parts of the model when establishing an innovation ecosystem.