AWARDS

TRIPLE HELIX CITY AWARDS

Recognizing Excellence in Collaborative Governance for Urban, Economic, and Social Transformation

The Triple Helix Association is proud to present the Triple Helix City Awards, created to recognize and celebrate cities that exemplify the power of collaboration among Government, Academia, Industry, and Civil Society as a driver of sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-based development.


Purpose of the Awards



The Triple Helix City Awards aim to acknowledge municipalities that have successfully institutionalized the Triple Helix Model of Innovation, fostering trust, co-responsibility, and cooperation among the four helices. By highlighting best practices in collaborative governance, the Awards seek to:


  • Recognize cities that demonstrate measurable impact through innovation-driven governance.
  • Promote models of co-creation that generate economic, social, and environmental value.
  • Encourage knowledge transfer and learning between territories through replicable governance models.
  • Strengthen international visibility of cities leading in resilience, inclusion, and sustainability.
  • Foster a global network of cities committed to open, mission-oriented innovation.


Aligned with global initiatives such as the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital), Smart City Expo World Congress Awards, and UN-Habitat City Awards, the Triple Helix City Awards contribute a distinctive scientific and systemic perspective — rooted in the Triple Helix framework that connects theory, policy, and practice for territorial innovation.

Methodology and Criteria



The Triple Helix City Awards identify and honor cities that have demonstrated effective collaborative governance through the interaction of the four helices to achieve transformative outcomes.


Two categories reflect the diversity of urban scales and governance models:

  • Category S – Small and Medium-Sized Cities (up to 250,000 inhabitants)
    Recognizing agile, participatory models of governance where innovation thrives at a human scale.
  • Category L – Large Cities (over 250,000 inhabitants)
    Highlighting metropolitan ecosystems that have institutionalized cross-sector cooperation for systemic transformation.


Evaluation Criteria:

  1. Triple Helix Governance Constitution – Institutionalization and governance frameworks.
  2. Evidence of Collaborative Projects – Joint initiatives among the helices with measurable outcomes.
  3. Demonstrated or Measurable Impact – Clear evidence of transformation in social, economic, or environmental dimensions.
  4. Scalability and Replicability – Potential for transferability and inspiration to other territories.

The evaluation process involved the creation of a Long List (10 cities per category), a Short List (3 finalists), and the selection of one winner per category, chosen by the Triple Helix Awards Jury, composed of THA’s current and past leadership and editors of the Triple Helix Journal.

2025 EDITION

Category S

Small and Medium-Sized Cities


Finalists

  • Rio Grande (Brazil) – Grande Pacto: Collaborative Recovery and Sustainable Innovation
  • Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain) – BIVA: Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance
  • Tartu (Estonia) – Smart City Co-Creation Ecosystem


Winner

  • Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain) – BIVA: Barcelona Innovation Valley Alliance

Category L

Large Cities


Finalists

  • Monterrey (Mexico) – DistritoTec & Nuevo León 4.0: Regional Innovation Governance
  • Porto Alegre (Brazil) – Pacto Alegre: Institutionalized Co-Governance Platform
  • Singapore (Singapore) – One-North Innovation District: National Triple Helix Integration


Winner

  • Porto Alegre (Brazil) – Pacto Alegre: Institutionalized Co-Governance Platform