Rethinking the quadruple helix in place-based innovation: power, space and public experience

Purpose The paper aims to explore how stakeholder governance dynamics shape public experiences in innovation district spaces. It addresses a gap in the public lifeworld by interrogating the quadruple helix model of innovation and its spatial consequences. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews with community council representatives and residents in two Glasgow innovation districts were analysed thematically through the lens of social space theory. Findings From the public’s perspective, innovation districts are governed unequally. This reinforces the production of districts as territorial enclaves and as spaces of urban colonisation, privileging institutional interests and capitalist logics while marginalising existing communities. Originality/value The study provides a public-centred critique of the quadruple helix model of innovation, linking power dynamics to lived spatial experiences. It conceptualises innovation districts as territorial enclaves and as colonial landscapes. Ultimately, it calls for more meaningful public inclusion to confront enduring urban divisions.