University-Industry-Government: The Triple Helix Model of Innovation

In ancient Mesopotamia, a triple helix water screw, invented to raise water from one level to another, was the basis of a hydraulic system of agricultural innovation that irrigated ordinary farms as well as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. i The triple helix as a physical innovation is superseded by the triple helix of social innovation. On one level triple helix is a metaphor for university, industry, and government interacting closely while each maintains its independent identity. The triple helix message is that universities, firms and governments assume some of the capabilities of the other, even as each maintains its primary role and distinct identity.