Governance of Innovation Ecosystems: A Metamodel for Orchestrating Innovation Districts 

Innovation Districts play a central role in fostering economic growth, technological advancement, and societal transformation. Yet, their increasing complexity demands effective coordination to prevent fragmentation. This paper introduces a metamodel for orchestrating Innovation Districts through a structured governance framework that integrates academia, industry, government, and civil society into cohesive ecosystems. Building on Triple and Quadruple Helix frameworks, the model ensures inclusivity and sustainability. It identifies four essential groups of elements: Basic (Talent, Technology, Investment), Specialization (Society, Territory, Sectors), Connection (Information, Local and Global Networks), and Governance, which aligns and integrates them. Case studies from 22@ Barcelona, Ruta N Medellín, and Pacto Alegre Porto Alegre illustrate how governance transforms fragmented initiatives into high-performing ecosystems. The paper also proposes an implementation roadmap: steering group formation, ecosystem mapping, vision development, challenge identification, project design, and governance operationalization. Embedding governance as a core function enables scalability, sustainability, and strategic alignment.