Collaborative governance for knowledge-based innovation : the case of Hong Kong

Abstract

Innovation is widely recognized as a growth engine of social and economic development while cross-sector collaboration in university-industry-government network is increasingly advocated for knowlegde-based innovation. The purpose of this research is to investigate causal linkage between the performance of triple helix collaboration process and the performance of Hong Kong for knowledge-based innovation. It is important to have a better understanding on the roles of university, firm and government in regional innovation system for social and economic development under the influences of China’s rapid growth and globally convergent trends of academic entrepreneurship, open innovation and collaborative governance. In this empirical research, qualitative methodologies including content analysis of official documents, case studies and expert interviews are adopted through a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies over three distinct periods of Hong Kong. In an attempt to create knowledge growth by exploratory research, a new model namely the Integrated Collaborative Innovation Model (or the ICI Model) is synthesized in this dissertation by combining the theory of triple helix and the theory of collaborative governance into an integrated framework for knowledge-based innovation. The findings of this empirical research corroborate that the triple helix collaboration dynamics in university-industry-government network is positively linked to the knowledge-based innovation in Hong Kong as a collaborative governance regime. A few recommendations are accordingly made to Hong Kong for becoming an truly international innovation and technology hub of China in the foreseeable future.