“Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy… cities will never have rest from their evils — no, nor the human race as I believe…” (Plato)
As theory grows and develops in its ability to encompass the more greatly faceted institutional pillars of Government, University, Industry, Civil Society, and the Environment, we can imagine how our movement from the information age to the humane age provides the world even more excellent opportunities than before. People are no longer left responsible for the choice between human-focused work and progress, but rather our society is taking the necessary steps to change our perspectives to see how the invitation of technology will quickly lead to a more human-centric society.
The Quadruple and Quintuple Helix Innovation Systems
The concept of Quadruple and Quintuple Helix Innovation systems offers us a systemic perspective for knowledge and innovation. It allows us to see knowledge and innovation in an entirely new light that enables humans to act as democratic agents in the greater society. This theory demonstrates balance amongst major world systems and allows for new modes of profit where creativity thrives on interactions between innovation, entrepreneurship, and design thinking.
Through this approach, we can “adopt a much more complex approach to considering our surroundings and dealing with challenges” (Carayannis, 2020). Each pillar of the model allows for more advanced opportunities in knowledge and innovation, potentially altering how we embody power.
Toward Society 5.0
Democracy and our empowered participation in it are a “requirement for the further evolution of knowledge and democracy.” If we maximize the interfaces and intersections between the pillars of the Quintuple Helix theory, we may introduce an expansion of the Democratization of Knowledge to attain Society 5.0.
This transition will provide:
* Full access to knowledge for everyone.
* The abolition of societal hierarchies that gatekeep information.
* A workforce transition where technology transforms jobs rather than replacing human employment.
As Dr. Elias Carayannis notes, “Every project… should always have the quintuple helix in mind when calling for proposals; all projects should have our common good as the foremost goal.”
The migration towards the democratization of knowledge and the subsequent collaboration with technology will offer an unbelievable opportunity to look clearly at society as it is and begin changing our chosen “either/or” approach to one that allows for “both/and.” Let us all be active participants in creating a next-level society that finds the humane by engaging with tech solution advances for our collective future.