Sustainability as a co-created service: Integrating complex adaptive systems and service-dominant logic within the triple helix framework

Abstract This paper introduces a new conceptual framework that integrates Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory with Service-Dominant logic (S-D logic). The aim is to address sustainability as an emergent, co-created service within the Triple Helix model of businesses, governments, and universities. By linking the Sustainability Science systems-based approach with the Service Science focus on value co-creation, such framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of how sustainability can be operationalized through feedback loops and adaptive processes. Reinforcing and balancing feedback loops are highlighted as essential mechanisms that drive cognitive alignment among actors, ensuring that sustainability is achieved through continuous adaptation and collaboration. The paper also discusses the implications of such a framework for businesses, governments, universities, and policy design, emphasizing the importance of institutional flexibility, cross-sector collaboration, and the role of feedback-driven adaptability in the pursuit of long-term sustainability goals. Practical insights for fostering cognitive alignment and adaptive strategies in complex service ecosystems are provided, showcasing how the framework can inform sustainability strategies and innovation in practice.