With the accelerated transformation of the global innovation ecosystem, the integration of science-industry-education has become a core mechanism driving technology transfer and industrial upgrading. The deep penetration of digital technology has provided a new path for reconstructing the collaborative model of industry, academia, and research. Based on 1,058 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection, this study employs the CiteSpace tool to conduct bibliometric and knowledge network analysis of research on the integration of science-industry-education from 2000 to 2024. The results indicate that global publication volume has undergone three distinct phases: the embryonic stage (2000–2008), which focused on the construction of the triple helix theory; the growth stage (2009–2019), which shifted towards regional institutional validation; and the explosive stage (2020–2024), which deepened digital transformation and efficiency assessment. The core research vehicle is the journal Journal of Technology Transfer, which has formed a disciplinary network where management, computer science, and engineering intersect and permeate each other. Research themes have evolved from early policy framework design to efficiency optimization, with digital transformation and value closure becoming cutting-edge hot topics. However, the cooperation network exhibits characteristics of a 'dual-core drive' dominated by China and the United States, with regional fragmentation coexisting, and the density of inter-institutional cooperation in emerging economies is far lower than that in developed countries. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms, address the digital divide and institutional compatibility barriers, and promote the deep integration of green technology innovation with an evaluation system oriented toward sustainable development goals. This will provide practical pathways for the high-quality development of a science-industry-education collaborative innovation ecosystem.
Ting et al. (Wed,) studied this question.