Suzhou, China Acoustic Valley: Triple Helix Partnerships at the International Institute of Acoustic Technology

The Triple Helix relationship among government, industry, and universities is regarded as a crucial source of technological innovation and sustainable economic development. However, little is known in existing research about how the Triple Helix achieves collaborative innovation within hybrid organisations. Drawing on institutional logics theory, this study addresses this gap from the perspective of entrepreneurship. We propose a new concept, the ‘Triple Helix entrepreneurship’, and regard it as the core mechanism that drives Triple Helix within hybrid organisations to achieve collaborative innovation. Based on a case study of the International Institute of Acoustic Technology (IAT) in ‘Suzhou•China Acoustic Valley’, we identify the specific connotations of Triple Helix entrepreneurship along four dimensions: logic configuration, role positioning, mission pursuit, and value evaluation. We further explain how this entrepreneurship drives the process of collaborative innovation among the Triple Helix within hybrid organisations, and how it differs from other types of entrepreneurship. Our case study not only provides new insights into the microfoundations of the Triple Helix theory, but also expands, at the cognitive level, the strategies by which hybrid organisations cope with institutional complexity, while further enriching the typology of entrepreneurship.