The role of modern urban science parks in developing entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems

Chapter 8 highlights how active partnerships among university, industry, and government (Triple Helix) can support the development of urban science parks (USP) as enabling incubation mechanisms for innovative startups. The chapter presents a conceptual framework that combines theoretical lenses of Triple Helix, Knowledge-Based Urban Development, Clusters of Innovation, and Lifecycle of a New Venture, which aims at improving the current understanding of how USP’s evolve, and how the role of TH agents change over the lifecycle of USPs. Application of the framework is illustrated by a comparative case study of two prominent USPs, 22@Barcelona (Spain) and Porto Digital in Recife (Brazil)