A simulation model of the Triple Helix of university–industry–government relations and the decomposition of the redundancy

A Triple Helix (TH) network of bi- and trilateral relations among universities, industries, and governments can be considered as an ecosystem in which uncertainty can be reduced when functions become synergetic. The functions are based on correlations among distributions of relations, and therefore latent. The correlations span a vector space in which two vectors (P and Q) can be used to represent forward “sending” and reflexive “receiving,” respectively. These two vectors can also be understood in terms of the generation versus reduction of uncertainty in the communication field that results from interactions among the three bi-lateral channels of communication. We specify a system of Lotka–Volterra equations between the vectors that can be solved. Redundancy generation can then be simulated and the results can be decomposed in terms of the TH components. Furthermore, we show that the strength and frequency of the relations are independent parameters in the model. Redundancy generation in TH arrangements can be decomposed using Fourier analysis of the time-series of empirical studies. As an example, the case of co-authorship relations in Japan is re-analyzed. The model allows us to interpret the sinusoidal functions of the Fourier analysis as representing redundancies.