Integration of the Triple Helix Model in Sustainability Research. ISOSCAN as Case Study

At the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Summit, the UN 2030 Agenda was adopted to push society towards a sustainable development path. Understanding how to guarantee the well-being of current and future generations within the limits of the natural world is the overarching goal of sustainability research. However, rather than defining a research agenda based on sustainability as a holistic and integrated view, some particular topics, inter alia climate change, green energy, social sustainability and sustainability education have been individually examined. Therefore, in an effort to bridge this gap, this chapter introduces the Sustainability Institute of Cantabria (ISOSCAN) as an expression of the Triple Helix Model in Spain to face main regional challenges by a comprehensive approach that jointly covers all sustainability dimensions. To this end, The Regional Development Agency of Cantabria (SODERCAN) championed a cluster comprising four private companies and one university of the region. A detailed plan to revitalize the most declining rural areas of Cantabria was presented as case study to emphasize research through the collaboration between university, industry and governance.