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This research tackles some of the main challenges faced by European innovation ecosystems, which need to encompass a more inclusive, interdisciplinary, human and environmental-centric triple transition (Caro-González et al., 2023). Many regions in Europe have been promoting and enhancing collaboration and cooperation among the main stakeholders within their innovation ecosystems. However, most of the cases are focused on the knowledge triangle approach which is not always suitable for the inclusion of many participants, particularly those coming from the quadruple helix: citizens and social entities and actors from different age groups (intergenerational collaboration). This research is based on the INTEGER project – Interconnecting 4 helix innovation ecosystems in European regions (2023–2025), which addresses the deep existing gap between social innovators and entrepreneurs and their regional innovation ecosystems in three European regions (Catalonia, Hamburg and Krakow). The main research question is how a collaborative model, based on the quadruple helix approach, can harness higher potential of EU innovation in the critical policy area of healthy living and wellbeing. The research will use the data of the Catalonian Col·laboratori initiative, analysing specifically the case of the Col·laboratori on Health and Wellbeing to reveal the potential and barriers to consolidate the participation of social innovators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Facilitating start-ups located in the port-city interface is one of the current policy strategies of municipalities in many port-cities worldwide to encourage innovations in constantly evolving port areas. This could help the re-development of vacant ex-port land, while also offering new economic orientations for the city and the port. The aim of the paper is therefore to explore what conditions are needed to facilitate and encourage start-ups in innovation ecosystems in the port-city interface. The analysis is based on two in-depth case studies of the port-cities of Montreal (Canada) and Rotterdam (the Netherlands). The results indicate that government initiatives to actively facilitate start-ups in formerly industrialized port areas are quite successful. However, the functional linkages between start-ups and port activities remains rather limited, if not entirely absent, and the impact on the functioning of the innovation ecosystem at large is not substantial. Other factors such as capital, collaboration and proximity are valued more than the physical location of the start-up. In this, other actors in the ecosystem besides the municipality and the port authority also play a key role. Furthermore, start-ups often feel limited in their innovative capacity because of stringent regulations and institutional rigidness. Governments and port authorities could facilitate in this respect by working more demand-driven in terms of unburdening and creating more institutional support, instead of imposing top-down rules and regulations to try to govern the ecosystem, which in itself can be considered a contradiction in terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we concentrate on relational capital, manifestation of the old adage "it is not what you know but who you know". We propose that in this networked world, the importance of relationships between multiple stakeholders created by key personnel and financing becomes fundamental, and hence understanding and measuring those becomes fundamental, too. Accordingly, we highlight a need to go beyond social, individual or personal relationships and organizational context, as well as beyond the limitations of the dyadic (one actor to one actor) view on relationships. Hence, we are introducing the ecosystem as the context for measuring relational capital. This paper builds on a construct of ecosystemic relational capital, created for understanding and measuring the importance of relationships in the context of ecosystems. It looks at the totality of relationships both at organizational level and at individual level, measuring the structures and characteristics related to individuals, organizations as well as the ecosystem as a whole (Still et al. 2014a). We acknowledge that the initial framework emphasizes the "networking capabilities" element of relational capital, with less attention to the element of "customer loyalty and reputation", which is the motivation for building on the construct. The processes of ecosystemic relational capital are built on the possibilities afforded by the volumes of digital data, mostly from social media, providing details on the relationships between various actors related to various regions, sectors, technologies and products. However, we propose enhancing the holistic integration for better understanding and measuring of relational capital with the application of methods of social network analysis (SNA), network visualizations and social media analytics. In this paper, we present concrete examples of the enhanced framework. At the same time, we acknowledge that there are many other avenues for obtaining novel insights for relational capital with these analytics, and we strongly encourage researchers and practitioners to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on value creation and capture in innovation ecosystems. It presents and discusses the findings from a qualitative, comparative case study on two European-led innovation ecosystems from the ICT and aerospace and defence sectors. The purpose of the research is to explore the tangible and intangible mechanisms related to how leading firms may facilitate value creation and capture in this context. In particular, we focus on mechanisms related to the building phase to help attract and gather relevant stakeholders, and on the management phase to help maintain and realise the business goals of all ecosystem participants. We also discuss the differences between the case industries concerning the effectiveness and usage of such mechanisms. Overall, the research findings provide new evidence on the facilitating initiatives, underlying mechanisms and structures that are related to the leading firms' orchestration of innovation ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]