Abstract

Abstract: The literature has shown the importance of incorporating civil society into the regional innovation system to favor companies' long-term growth. This research aims to carry out a systematic review on the definition and classification of society in the innovation model based on the contexts that relate to the university, business, and government. The results show that the concept of civil society has been approached in the literature from four perspectives: demand-side, media and culture, independent non-profit, and intermediary organizations. These results may help clarify the concept of civil society, having significant implications for academics and companies, and regional innovation agencies that promote the participation of civil society in their innovation systems.