A quadruple helix view on smart city: Exploring the effect of internal and external open innovation on public services digitalization

Open Innovation and the Quadruple Helix framework have emerged as key concepts in the public policy domain, particularly within smart city initiatives. Contemporary cities face growing expectations to unite multiple actors – including citizens, private and public institutions, and firms, to shape urban development and facilitate social, economic, and urban advancement. Despite the increasing focus on smart cities, a significant research gap remains in understanding the integration of various actors and the implementation of the Open Innovation paradigm—both internally and externally—and how this integration impacts the digitalization process. To address this gap, this paper examines the role of internal and external Open Innovation within the Quadruple Helix framework—encompassing governance, knowledge & academia, civil society, and business & industry—in the development and implementation of digital services in smart cities. Using a longitudinal dataset of Italian cities, this research provides new insights into the mechanisms that underpin smart city innovation, offering empirical evidence that highlights the importance of collaborative ecosystems in shaping the cities of the future. Our findings contribute to the literature on smart cities, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches that harness the potential of diverse actors and Open Innovation to achieve sustained urban advancement. • Explores the integration of the four Quadruple Helix actors within the digitalization process in smart cities. • Highlights the central role of Open Innovation in smart city initiatives. • Shows the different effects of internal and external Open Innovation in the relationship between the smart city ecosystem and public digital services. • Contributes to the current debate that considers the city as a lab, highlighting the need to balancing different actors in smart city development.