• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.554-571
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• 2009

This paper explores the triple helix innovation system in Food Valley in the Netherlands which is considered one of the most innovative food clusters in the world. The triple helix approach has been so far little tackled in the literature on innovation system and cluster. However, tills approach can be a useful tool for understanding the dynamic characters and knowledge transfer mechanism of industrial cluster. On the basis of an in-depth case study, we argue that Food Valley has evolved through four circles of growth in the triple helix innovation system. From the mid-2000s onward, it is seen that Food Valley has been on the stabilized circle in the triple helix system of innovation. Centered upon Wageningen UR, local universities and research centers play a pivotal role in building the triple helix innovation system. To cope with radical changes in markets and technology since the late 1980s, local firms have made a great deal of effort to reinforce the university-industry partnership. On the other hand, government agencies have played a critical role for establishing institutional milieu that facilitate university-industry partnerships and local knowledge transfer and spillover.