RE-VISITING THE "MOLECULAR BIOLOGY" OF REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS:COMPETING MODELS OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.

Metaphors matter. Conventional wisdom argues that best practices in developing a regional innovation system dictate a bottom-up focus that emphasizes innovators and entrepreneurs, yet we see considerable resources deployed in top-down approaches that emphasize institutional actors. The rise of a potent metaphor, the "Triple Helix" has contributed this seeming disconnect. We argue here for a more bottom-up Double Helix model by re-visiting a larger qualitative study aimed at developing a regional innovation system in Scandinavia to increase growth venture development, one that has chosen an approach more consistent with the "triple helix" metaphor. Results based on in-depth interviews show that entrepreneurs and potential innovators (scientists and researchers) feel excluded, or even avoid, involvement with governmental actors. Technology-based business concepts are not emerging and new firms are not being created. The study questions the existing top-down Triple Helix model of innovation systems as, by necessity, it discards the entrepreneurs, as opposed to the competing model, a true bottom-up (or supervenient) double helix model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]