What constitutes failure? : the influence of public interests in securing accountability in Triple Helix initiatives

The focus of this article is to examine a specific case of a failing regional innovation system (RIS). Our study focuses on a specific project that was conducted in a triple helix constellation where public actors occupy the centre of the triple helix constellation. By examining and interpreting this single case, we aim to illustrate the consequences that result from uncertainty over who the triple helix constellation is accountable to as well as the consequences that has for the overall assessment of the outcome of the triple helix. We show how the overall initiative constituted a failure, but when one considers the activities that were organized and implemented by the RIS, then it is problematic to define it as a failure. This leads us to the conclusion that we should evaluate RIS from different perspectives and on different levels, and we need to consider the time dimension in our evaluation.