Organising for innovation in regional innovation systems: from fragmented innovation ecosystems to the joint aim for competitiveness of offshore wind energy

Abstract

The research in this paper reveals how organising the innovation ecosystem can enable the achievement of the aim for innovation and competitiveness. The research was conducted from June 2014 to May 2015 using a qualitative deductive approach among operation & maintenance (O&M) actors in offshore wind parks. The research contains a focus group interview with 11 companies, 20 individual interviews and a preliminary seminar on the findings with 60 participants. The findings reveal the triple helix framing as being useful for the offshore wind ecosystem to enable innovation. The findings highlight the need for transnational flexible alignment of regulations and procedures with a focus between the helixes on timeliness, transparency and open collaboration practices. Additionally, collaboration with SMEs can enable complementary dynamic knowledge creation in conjunction with university research and educational training. A contribution is made to application of the triple helix notion to enable innovation in offshore wind ecosystems.