Les connectivités dans la modélisation des collaborations entre université-état-entreprise : une nouvelle logique pour les systèmes d’innovation

This qualitative research focuses on the importance of detailed analysis of connectivity, between stakeholders in the modeling of collaborative modes, within an innovation system. This research sought to pinpoint the factors and the sub-factors explaining connectivity between academic actors, companies, as well as public and parapublic administration organizations within their collaborations leading to innovation. We also wanted to better understand their differences with regards to the difficulties and perceptions of their collaborations as to the overriding factors of the observed connectivity. Finally, we wanted to understand the influence of the internationalization of their activities in terms of actors’connectivities. It has been intuitively suggested that the detailed analysis of connectivity between actors allowed a better understanding of the new multiscale collaborative modes.  The relevance of this research lies in the creation of a new conceptualization of driving innovation, induced by the willingness of players to optimize their connectivity within the regional innovation system integrated in the internationalized innovation system, creating a bridge concept of theory of the triple helix model and the regional innovation system (RIS). A qualitative survey was conducted with 30 participants selected in the areas of life sciences and health technology of Greater Montreal. The detailed analysis of the interview of participants allowed us to identify issues related to connectivity of four factors facilitating the conduct of innovation and fifty-two (52) connectivity sub-factors. The results show that the major factors of connectivity, associated with their sub-factors, facilitate the conduct of innovation. However, they are articulated differently between the actors. While most stakeholders agree on the fact that the concerted collaboration is favorable, discontinuities persist about the roles of the actors and the difficulties experienced within the system. The research suggests that beyond the hybrid transformation of roles, proposed by the theory of the triple helix and synergistic organization clusters encouraged by RIS, individualized objectives of encouraging actors to get out of their proximity zone to satisfy their needs instantly, both regionally and internationally. Therefore, multiscale connectivity is built from the connectivity sub-factors, for which consultation between the actors is more difficult to achieve. Two explanations seem to emerge from work. First, the actors will act according to their own ability to adapt and, then, depending on their level of flexibility to work within the regional and international systems. Moreover, their movements will be conducted in a single logic seeking to optimize their reactions to their own needs for innovation. This logic, related to the multiscale connectivity, is influenced by the density of their networks, their dependencies with other actors and their ability to act freely regardless of the scale of analysis. We conclude our thesis on presenting an updated model of driving innovation, relying on the detailed analysis of connectivity and the propensity of actors to collaborate within a multiscale approach, thus challenging the general principles of the theories explaining the behavior of innovation.

Keyphrases: University-State-Industry collaboration, Innovation system, Triple helix, Connectivity, Life Sciences and Health Technology, Montreal, urban dynamics