The processes of cooperation within the Triple Helix Framework are analyzed for two universities (VU University, Amsterdam and Hokkaido University (HU));starting with a description of the regions, the universities, and the institutional arrangements to promote interaction between different sectors. Based on interviews with different stakeholders, a list of items playing key roles was extracted and used to prepare a questionnaire. This was given to researchers at both universities in order to obtain managerial implications.

Our survey revealed that researchers at VU valued the collaborative leadership taken by the Amsterdam Economic Board (AEB) as a facilitator and the development of the new campus. On the other hand, researchers at HU were more focused on the need for a shared vision to create collaborative projects between different sectors. Our survey suggests that the university itself, HU, may play a more concrete role in the three sectors with its creative knowledge and coordination capabilities.

JEL Classification:R58, R50, R11