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This study focuses on exploring the sustainability characteristics of the regional produce, which comes from the Beiras region of Portugal to support new differentiation claims and forecast its effect on a global mass-market. Considering a Multiple Helix approach, this study aims to examine the role and perception of local academia in relation to this new premise to enhance the dynamic and competitive positioning of such regional produce. To this end, several in-depth interviews were conducted with local researchers and decision-makers, allowing the significance and potential of the proposed green claims to be discussed. Several insights into the subject were developed and new directives were presented. Nonetheless, complementary research may still be necessary to assess the remaining multiple helix actors of the local ecosystem in order to identify and develop the most promising strategies to effectively promote local endogenous produce to a global market.

The Multiple Helix may be defined as a general framework to explore complex innovation dynamics amongst the main actors such as governance, academia, industry and society. Considering that the Multiple Helix approach adds to the traditional Triple Helix framework the influence of society in its multiple intervening roles, a wider and broader discussion is needed to fully comprehend the resulting dynamics in such complex ecosystems. As currently innovation cannot be discussed without considering sustainability aspects and goals, multiple combinations of knowledge and resources have to be addressed in an attempt to harmonize the ambitions of both environmental conservation and economic growth. To this end, current study aims at reviewing and discussing the Circular Economy fundamentals based on a Multiple Helix framework, as it is considered key that the relationship between industry and environment is crucial for industrial business performance. The body of knowledge that is created here is meant to support mainly students and practitioners, but also new researchers, which are addressing the problematic of Circular Economy in a Multiple Helix Perspective.