Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a conceptual model for the shaping of the innovation district under the anchor approach by extracting the specifications of the fourth-generation university.
Design/methodology/approach
This study selected 550 resources and reduced them to 190 to achieve the most appropriate resources. This study used a meta-synthesis analysis approach using a text-mining method due to the multidisciplinary and voluminous nature of contents.
Findings
The results first reveal the shaping process and the components of innovation districts, which are: innovational urban infrastructures, knowledge economy and competitiveness and academic development. Second, this study also shows the specifications of a fourth-generation university to shape innovation districts.
Practical implications
This study also informs the policymakers and researchers internationally about the implementation requirements of a fourth-generation university and the shaping mechanisms of an innovation district.
Originality/value
This paper is pioneer about two concepts, first, it shows the shaping process of an innovation district, providing a large-scale insight about the components and second, this illustrates for the first time the specifications of a fourth-generation University practically as an anchor institute to shape innovation district.
Adopting the circular economy principles as a solution to overcome the challenges of the linear economy is increasing globally. In this regard, the related studies showed that circularity is a property of systems, not individual entities. Therefore, any ecosystem design process, including the implementation of circular innovation ecosystems (CIEs), needs in-depth and comprehensive insights into the design process, transformation of ecosystem components, and transition requirements toward circular ecosystems. This study utilized a two-step research methodology consisting of a systematic literature review on sustainable innovation ecosystems and CIEs alongside using grounded theory coding procedures to analyze 10 interviews based on an analytical ecosystem modeling tool to investigate the transformation of ecosystem components in circular ecosystems. Our findings illustrated that circular ecosystem design needs ecosystem actors' synchronic and incremental evolvement. The results also showed that implementing the CIEs requires broader networks of stakeholders, a new interactive economic model, an open platform for co-innovation and co-creation, transforming ecosystem value propositions, and defining new investment models and policies. The findings also inform policymakers and ecosystem researchers about the requirements of any transition toward CE ecosystems. Accordingly, proper policy-making structures and models for tackling transformation obstacles are provided.
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