Quadruple Helix, the concept
The DesirMED project is funded under the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change, which adopts a regional approach to create regional climate resilience. Mediterranean regions optimally utilise their specific characteristics and resources, from natural and social perspectives, to design, demonstrate and implement Nature-based Solutions (NbS), to strengthen their regional climate resilience.
DesirMED is supporting regions to effectively implement NbS in a process of transformative change, by using various relevant concepts for regional partners and their stakeholder networks to guide them going through the Transformative Adaptation Journey (TAJ): preparing the ground, creating a common vision, developing adaptation pathways and portfolios of solutions, towards the full implementation of NbS, upscaling and mainstreaming across the Mediterranean and beyond.
One of those relevant concepts on transformative governance is the quadruple helix interplay among regional partners. Partners can be characterised according to this quadruple helix concept[1], representing the domains of public sector, private sector, knowledge providers and civil society. The quadruple helix concept is used to ensure that all domains are involved in commonly developing and implementing NbS measures, technologies, services and approaches, with their knowledge, skills and networks.
Quadruple Helix, the domains
The public sector domain consists of territorial governments in regions like local authorities and eventually provinces, which are engaged in defining and implementing relevant sustainable and climate policies. This domain also includes public organisations as waterboards, environmental services as wastewater treatment and energy utilities. The public sector provides policy frameworks and instruments at the level of regions and municipalities, which encompass multiple policy fields, as nature, water, soil, regional development to social departments and public health and plays a key role in enabling the implementation of measures.
The private sector domain groups economic actors producing goods and services, creating added value and providing services for business and society. The private sector will be directly affected by climate change impacts, and investments in adaptation measures and in particular in nature-based solutions (NbS), may provide companies with direct benefits and avoid future losses. Further, within regions, the private sector is challenged and incentivised to develop NbS services and technologies for public agencies, sectors (as tourism and agriculture), companies and landowners who are experiencing climate risk. Regional development agencies and cluster organisations support the private sector to innovate and to create value-added activities, contributing to regional smart specialisations on greening economies and societies. Regions may actively engage with the financial sector and create a pool of investors to be involved in the NbS demonstrators and portfolio development.
The knowledge domain includes universities, applied research organisations, and educational organisations (higher education, vocational training and life-long learning). To valorise knowledge towards regional practices, the research and innovation infrastructure is extended with living labs and demonstration sites across disciplines and research programs, to explore and test innovations on NbS, together with regional partners. Knowledge partners participate actively, contributing with their knowledge base, skills and tools, and connecting optimally their research programs and budgets to regional challenges.
The civil society domain comprises NGO’s, interest groups, civil society organisations and citizens. Regions should actively mobilise and involve local communities in the TAJ in a transparent, collaborative, and inclusive process to ensure that no one will be left behind. To achieve a “Just Transition”, DesirMED will engage partners across society, including marginalised groups.
Quadruple helix, complex concept
Using the quadruple helix alone does not guarantee satisfactory outcomes for all participants[2]. The domains differ and may have different interests, and there will be no single organisation representing the specific domain. The public domain consists of various levels, sectors and responsibilities; the private domain consists of various sectors; the knowledge domain consists of various disciplines; and the civil society consists of various groups representing issues or entities.
Further domains differ in their objectives, structures and cultures of operations, and available means. At the same time, the domains can supplement each other and commonly deliver a variety of relevant means and aspirations to the TAJ. In many contexts, boundary organisations (platforms, network- or cluster-organisations) have been raised to overcome this.
Quadruple Helix approach in DesirMED
DesirMED has a collaborative approach with a focus on transformative initiatives and activities among regional partners, optimally contributing with their capacities, knowledge, financial means and creativity. DesirMED is actively supporting the regions in forming and extending quadruple helix partnerships, engaging and connecting with partners and achieving higher social readiness levels with respect to integrated adaptation actions which are able to address root causes of vulnerability to climate change.
The starting point in DesirMED regions was the mapping of the current stakeholders, using the concept of the quadruple helix. The regional stakeholder mapping results have been discussed, and stakeholder gaps have been identified. In addition, an inventory of engagement tools and guidelines was developed, which will be used to mobilise and involve additional partners. Furthermore, an inventory of engagement challenges has been compiled, and the development of regional engagement strategies is underway. After a first round of meetings with regional stakeholders, DesirMED regions are now preparing for the second round of regional workshops, with a focus on developing transformation pathways and portfolios of solutions. The insights on quadruple helix interplay will be actively used in planning and design of these meetings, focusing on extending and completing the participation, as a precondition for transformative change.
Transformative change, which tackles the root causes of climate change vulnerability, is needed to create long-lasting resilience. It requires new ways of interplay in the quadruple helix interplay, bringing together all available resources, allowing the regions to optimise innovated governance for implementing the mission.
[1] Carayannis, 2014
[2] Nguyen and Marques, 2022
