Triple Helix and the Circle of Innovation

This paper positions the triple-Helix as a meso-level notion, an epicycle in a grander circle of technological change, institutional change, and psychological change. Because of the differing speeds of these several kinds of change, speed is proposed as a high-level system metric. This implies that what we commonly call bridging agencies or facilitators - lawyers, venture capitalists, incubators, etc. - are better called buffering agencies, as they help to engage entities changing at different speeds. They use human judgment as well as information technologies to choose feasible timing for these engagements. The paper highlights implications for thinking about innovation diffusion: The grand cycle of socio-technical change means we should, rather, think in terms of innovation reinforcement, or a circle of innovation.