Abstract This study examines the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting food and drink SME s in Wales in the context of post-Brexit, COVID-19 and wider geopolitical disruptions. Because SME s make up 92% of Welsh food enterprises, effective innovation support is crucial. While existing research emphasises university-led triple-helix contributions to innovation, this study broadens the lens to assess the wider configuration of support actors and networks. Using an inductive mixed-methods design, including a questionnaire of 163 firms (35 responses) and nine follow-up interviews, the analysis identifies core support needs in the technical, organisational, food-safety, and training domains, with secondary demand for food science, sustainability, and packaging. The findings reveal fragmented support pathways, bureaucratic barriers, and coordination gaps, particularly affecting mid-size firms and those needing regulatory or operational guidance. While triple-helix interventions were beneficial, broader ecosystem support lacked cohesion and scalability, underscoring the need for integrated policy frameworks and improved system orchestration.
Abstract Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation ( RIS3 ) have become a central instrument of EU cohesion policy. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on their implementation in peripheral regional contexts, particularly regarding the role of non-business entities in the Research and Innovation (R&I) system and governance mechanisms, remains limited. This article examines the RIS3 of Northern Portugal during the 2014–2020 programming period, focusing on two dimensions: the degree of relative specialisation of NUTS III sub-regions across priority domains and the perceived contribution of non-business R&I entities to regional innovation within the Regional Innovation System ( RIS ). A mixed-methods approach is employed, integrating documentary analysis, database research, and a questionnaire survey administered to non-business R&I entities. The study utilises Location Quotient analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling ( PLS-SEM ). The findings indicate that the Porto Metropolitan Area demonstrates the broadest specialisation profile (six domains), whereas peripheral sub-regions concentrate on fewer priority areas. Statistical modelling identifies perceived associations between non-business R&I entities and organisational innovation, product innovation, competitive orientation, and internationalisation of the business sector, as well as between RIS3 governance and organisational innovation. These results contribute to the literature on smart specialisation and regional innovation systems by highlighting the intermediary role of non-business R&I actors and the importance of governance coordination in peripheral European regions, offering practical implications for future programming periods.
Abstract While the creation of academic spin-offs is well-researched, we know relatively little about the factors that influence these firms to remain in their home region as they grow. In this paper, we study the regional characteristics and types of support that impact the intention of academic spin-offs to stay in their home region. Using a unique dataset of 70 Dutch high-tech academic spin-offs across two regions, we employ ordered probit regression to identify the reasons firms stay. The analyses present mixed results: local business support and university reputation significantly encourage spin-offs to stay, while access to infrastructure does not. These findings highlight the critical role of universities and local facilitators in fostering sustainable regional economic development. Understanding these dynamics can help policymakers and institutions design better strategies to retain innovative firms.
Abstract This study examines how the Triple Helix contribute to the development of industrial tourism in the Duero-Douro cross-border region, where industrial heritage is recognised as a strategic resource for innovation. In cross-border regions, the institutional dynamics behind tourism innovation remain unclear. Drawing on a cross-border database of 1,075 industrial and pre-industrial heritage assets across Portugal and Spain, the research analyses how universities, public institutions and sectoral actors support heritage identification, territorial systematisation and tourism valorisation. The study combines descriptive territorial analysis with institutional interpretative analysis. The findings indicate that higher education institutions play an essential role in knowledge production, while public institutions ensure territorial coordination. Although industry participation remains less consolidated, sectors such as wineries and food production reveal potential for tourism integration. The study demonstrates that industrial heritage can serve as a shared territorial platform through which collaborative institutional processes generate tourism innovation in cross-border regions, contributing to regional and sustainable development.
Abstract PROFNIT is a nationwide public policy that positions Higher Education Institutions ( HEI s) as orchestrators of regional innovation ecosystems in Brazil. Evidence from 48 hubs distributed across 51 municipalities in 26 federative units, involving approximately 4,000 professionals and 650 faculty members, demonstrates its extensive territorial and systemic reach. Between 2021 and 2025, 1,274 Technical-Technological Products ( PTT s) were proposed, of which 662 were certified, covering 76.9% of the national territory. Among these, 62% directly influenced productive processes, public policies, and local innovation arrangements. No correlation was identified between PTT generation and pre-existing intellectual property assets or Science and Technology Parks ( STP s), supporting the interpretation that PROFNIT contributes to innovation capability building rather than simply leveraging existing technological density. By integrating innovation hubs, living labs, Smart Specialization Strategies, and Quadruple Helix alliances, PROFNIT promotes entrepreneurial discovery, institutional learning, and collaborative governance, providing a potentially transferable model for regional innovation systems in emerging, peripheral, and heterogeneous contexts worldwide.
