Complementarities and Synergies of Quadruple Helix Innovation Design in Smart City Development

Strong relations between smart cities, urban and regional development, are getting increased attention both at policy and implementation level, providing fertile ground for execution of the new European policy frameworks that support quadruple helix approaches to innovation. Smart specialization strategies (RIS3) encompass such initiatives, placing ICT and collaboration between academia, industry, government, and citizens at the center of urban innovation. However, there is still lack of research on effects of such innovations in utilizing innovation potentials for developing smart cities, encompassing both quadruple helix clusters and ICT deployment. This study aims to increase the understanding on how quadruple helix urban innovation strengthens competitiveness of regions by improving its local smart areas - RIS3. Based on the comparative benchmarking we identified common smart specialization patterns and challenges that regions face in efforts to support urban innovation ecosystem design. The study is performed over nine small-medium sized urban regions in Central Europe, provides an overview of the effects of RIS3 strategies implemented through quadruple helix innovation clusters on competitiveness of regions and smart city development.