Quantifying the Triple Helix relationship in scientific research: statistical analyses on the dividing pattern between developed and developing countries

This study aims to find a global pattern of the Triple Helix (TH) relationship among university, industry, and government sectors in scientific research, placing the discussion in a developmental context. Based on the dataset composed of SCI and SSCI-listed publications from around 130 countries, we investigated the participation share of each sector, the publication share by sector and sectoral combination, and the synergic effect of the TH relationship. Statistical analyses suggest the presence of a dividing pattern of the TH relationship between developed and developing countries: Developed countries had higher participation in the industry sector, more university-centered collaborations with the industry and government sectors, and a higher synergic effect of the TH relationship than developing countries. This tendency was found to occur irrespective of the science or social science field. These findings have implications for developing countries to promote the participation of the industry sector in scientific research and the effort of the government sector to facilitate university and industry linkage.