The role of innovation dynamics on sustainable development goals: Interaction patterns based on the Triple Helix model

Since the United Nations introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, nations worldwide have launched a range of initiatives aimed at achieving these targets. However, the uneven SDGs progress across countries have raised fundamental questions regarding the underlying factors influencing these disparities. This study aims to examine the role of innovation dynamics in explaining the variation in national performance concerning the SDGs. To this end, it operationalizes the conceptual framework of the Triple Helix model of innovation, which identifies the dynamic interaction among three key institutions (universities, government, and industry)as the driving force behind innovation processes. After reviewing the theoretical literature on innovation dynamics and addressing conceptual challenges in existing studies, this research provides a clear and practical definition of the concept, making it suitable for statistical analysis. Building on the theoretical underpinnings of the Triple Helix model, this study evaluates how institutional interaction influences countries’ SDG performance during 2019 and 2024. To test the main hypothesis, four hierarchical regression models were developed. The dependent variable was the variance in sustainable development performance across countries during the specified period, while the independent variables included standardized performance scores of governments, industry, and academia, as well as indicators of bilateral and trilateral institutional interactions. These were analyzed while controlling for economic, political, cultural, and natural conditions. The results reveal that trilateral collaboration among universities, industry, and government has a highly significant and positive impact on sustainable development performance, whereas the isolated effects of individual institutions were limited or statistically insignificant. In addition, bilateral government–industry collaboration showed an independently significant contribution. The findings underscore that innovation dynamics and the structure of institutional interaction play a critical role in determining national success in achieving SDGs. This study offers a structured framework for evaluating institutional collaboration at the national level, and highlights the Triple Helix model as a key framework for sustainable development policymaking.