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Ongoing global climate change, growing population and the intensification of economic activities, increase pressure on water resources, a situation many see as a water governance crisis. Water-related issues are becoming a limiting factor for sustainable economic growth and require a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, to foster innovative solutions. This paper provides an evidence-based contribution to understanding Triple Helix Model (THM) relations and the path to innovation policy in the water sector. The analysis focuses on the interaction between university-industry-government, with specific reference to the Murcia region in Southeast Spain. This region combines a chronic shortage of water and a leading role for agriculture. Starting from the experience of a researcher, working for the General Water Council of the Murcia Region, this paper is based on both desk research and in-depth personal interviews with representatives of THM actors. In addition, a questionnaire was forwarded to all those companies in charge of providing water services in the Murcia region. The study has found that stakeholders are not fully cooperative in seeking innovation. The main challenges are the renewal of water-related facilities and the improvement of remote control systems, denitrification and desalination technologies and achieving better energy efficiency. To this aim, THM approach is suggested as a source of local innovation policies, identifying a series of tools to foster a collaborative approach.The phenomenon of water scarcity also has serious consequences in the economic context: water is vital for a wide range of activities, including agriculture, power generation, public water supply and manufacturing. In Europe, agriculture accounts for 36% of total annual water use, followed by public water supply (32%) [9]. Moreover, in the 28 Member States, approximately 81% of the freshwater involved for energy production, agriculture, public water supply and industry, originates in surface water bodies, with groundwater being the primary source for public water supply [8,10]). At the same time, water is, alarmingly, becoming a limiting factor for sustainable economic growth, employment and development [11].European sustainable growth should come from innovation in products, services and business models: eco-industries play a crucial role in developing innovative solutions. The water industry is a key component within the eco-industrial landscape and it is profitable. Indeed, the world water market is rapidly growing: it is expected to reach 1 trillion Euro by 2020 [12]. In particular, water reuse technologies represent a profitable sector for further innovation [13]. However, European water-related firms often fail to achieve their full innovative potential. Also, Europe usually does not turn knowledge into added value for society and markets [2,[13][14][15].In this context, the role of regions in dealing with innovation policies has recently increased [16,17]. As argued by Kohler-Koch [18], innovation processes take...

Phenomena associated with globalization, the spread of the knowledge economy and the challenges of sustainable development are all contributing to redefining the role of the university. In addition to the traditional first and second missions of education and research, universities have been taking on a third mission to bring socio-economic benefits to the local and national economy through technology transfer. The first part of this study briefly outlines the theoretical framework of the third mission and the emerging function of co-creation of initiatives to support social sustainability. Next, the study describes the approach adopted by the University of Macerata (UniMC), a university focused on Social Sciences and Humanities (SSHs). Since 2013, UniMC has undertaken specific actions to boost entrepreneurship through a humanistic approach towards local development. This paper describes six initiatives out of the many that UniMC has established: the Office for the Valorisation of Research - ILO and Placement; CreaHUB; LUCI, Laboratory for Humanism, Creativity and Innovation; IMpresa INaula; Mangia Locale; and #SMARTMARCA.

Organic agriculture remains a black box attribute when considering consumer behaviour and preferences in developing countries. This is due partially to a lack of awareness about such products in addition to a lack of trust in relation to the certification bodies responsible. Meanwhile, increasing demand for these products comes as a result of food intolerance and hygiene safety issues. Through this framework it is crucial to clarify the concept from the consumer perspective.The objective of this paper is to understand consumer perceptions regarding organic attributes and identify the characteristics considered by consumers when buying organic products. The relative importance index shows the sensitivity of Albanian consumers in relation to the organic attribute, mainly in fruit and vegetables. Through the Contingent Valuation Method it is estimated that the consumer will pay an average premium of 27.7% for organic vegetables and 28.3% for organic fruit. The segmentation approach indicates that consumers linking organic attributes with health expressed a high willingness to pay for organic products. However, the majority use price as the main indicator of the quality of the product they consume; a higher price meaning an organic product. This conclusion is important in developing countries where consumers display low trust in food safety mechanisms and institutions.

Blockchain technology (BCT) enables the automated execution of smart contracts in peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading. BCT-based P2P platforms allow the sharing, exchange and trade of energy among consumers or prosumers as peers, fostering the decarbonization, decentralization and digitalization of the energy industry. On the other hand, BCT-based P2P energy trading relies on the collection, storage and processing of a large amount of user data, posing interdisciplinary challenges, including user anonymity, privacy, the governance of BCT systems and the role of energy market players. First, this paper seeks to review the state of the art of European data protection law and regulations by focusing on BCT compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2018. Second, it explores both the potentials and the challenges of BCT-based P2P energy trading from a legal–economic perspective. To do so, the paper adopts an interdisciplinary approach which intertwines both law and economics, by reviewing the recent literature on BCT and P2P energy trading. Findings have revealed that the deployment of BCT-based P2P energy trading is still in its pilot stage because of technology immaturity, data protection uncertainty, incomplete disintermediation and the lack of both user awareness and collaboration among market players. Drawing on the review, the paper also proposes a selection of solutions to foster the implementation of BCT-based P2P energy trading.