Research-action and third mission: innovative experiences in European design

The university today is called upon to play a key role in the innovation and regeneration of territorial systems through the Third Mission, which combines research and teaching with technology transfer and knowledge co-creation initiatives. However, there remains a gap between theory and practice, which tends to reduce Third Mission to mere dissemination. This paper contributes to bridging the gap by presenting an integrated, codesigned and data-driven approach to open innovation that integrates stakeholders from the earliest stages of the process. Strategies and actions are presented in the framework of action-research in European projects where digital tools and quintuple helix collaboration generate impacts and enable long-term technology transfer.