Knowledge Exchange between Quadruple Helix Stakeholders on Sustainability: How Can Transdisciplinary Knowledge Networks Facilitate Sustainable Knowledge Exchange and Contribute to Complex Societal Issues?

Today’s complex urban and societal challenges require more diverse types of knowledge and actors to be addressed since they are set within complex interactions and a constantly changing environment, knowledge produced in the context of application, by communication and negotiation between heterogeneous stakeholders in a transdisciplinary setting. HEI’s are increasingly seen as a pivotal partner in addressing complex societal challenges such as sustainability and are driven to alight from their ivory towers and collaborate across sectors, between disciplines and most of all with societal partners. Likewise, students need to be prepared for their professional life with 21st century competencies to be able to tackle today’s challenges.
One of multiple ways to put this into action is bridging the gap between both theory and practice and on-campus and off-campus learning. In this article we present a case study of a knowledge network where approximately thirty diverse quadruple helix stakeholders in a specific local geographical area are interacting to exchange knowledge, learn from each other and address their challenges in the local sustainability transition. The network consists of citizen groups, associations, NGOs, welfare organizations, social entrepreneurs, municipality officials, academics and students. The purpose of this case study is both to operationalize a local knowledge infrastructure to foster urban sustainable development and to provide the city as a learning environment for students by providing their questions for societally relevant coursework for interdisciplinary student teams from local HEIs, referred to as Community Service Learning activities.
The methodological approach employed is a combined model of ‘reflexive monitoring in action’ and ‘learning evaluation’. Within four iterative phases: observation, analysis and reportage, reflection, and adjustment of activities, development around five values is evaluated. Respectively the content value, affective value, strategic value, network value and instrumental value (the translation from content value to concrete actions). Data is gathered through field notes, expert and semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Network activities are iteratively steered and adjusted based on the emerging content during interactions and reflections on the process.
Interim results show both added value of the operationalization of the network as challenges in its development and anchoring. The process thus far shows content, network and affective value. The network activities contribute to increased knowledge on dealing with challenges. Additionally, the activities have network value for those involved by getting to know other relevant actors and making relevant links for collaboration to increase impact. Also, making these links and learning from each other's practice generates a sense of cohesion. However much potential for instrumental and strategic value is experienced as underexploited, which gives rise to questions such as those of governance and aim of the network, balancing power between various partner roles such as societal stakeholders and students, the value of knowledge developed and subsequently its dissemination and impact.
By concretizing a knowledge infrastructure in co-creation with all partners, mapping needs, evaluating the process and identifying enabling and constraining factors, we aim to contribute to arriving at a robust local knowledge infrastructure on sustainability.