If we want meet the ambitious goals outlined by UN Sustainable Development Goals, and address the regional, national, and global challenges that we are faced with, we need strong local ecosystems for innovation. This can only be accomplished if we foster systemic collaboration between a diverse range of actors in the ecosystem.

Responsible innovation is predicated on our ability to foster partnerships that drive collaboration. The Roadmap to Regional Innovation is built on versions and discussions of the triple, quadruple, and quintuple helix models. The framework highlights the important role of the Environment and Society as a whole, when linking the concept of collaboration between Government, Academia, Civic Sector, and the Private Sector, to drive sustainable and circular innovation.

As we navigate through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is crucial to recognize the importance of both digital and physical infrastructure in fostering innovation ecosystems. All individuals, regardless of their economic or social circumstances, need to have access to the digital tools and resources necessary to participate in today's increasingly digital world. In addition, reliable transportation, energy, and communication networks are essential for collaboration and development. In an age where access to technology is vital for educational and professional success, digital equity and robust infrastructure are crucial to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the same resources.

Tech Stewardship was born out of 8 years of deep
sensemaking by the Engineering Change Lab Canada
(ECL). With a mandate to explore the impact of
engineering on society and the role engineers play in our
shared future, ECL recognized an even greater
underlying need to account for technology’s impact
crosses industries, institutions, and professions. Tech
Stewardship emerged as a universal philosophy and
practice for more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive
technology to promote greater positive impact in our
world.

Collaboration and co-creation are vital components for fostering innovation within regional ecosystems. By establishing and operationalizing physical and virtual platforms for co-creation, local citizens, social entrepreneurs, the local business community, knowledge groups, the volunteer sector, and the public sector can come together to identify challenges and devise solutions. Furthermore we need to prepare a plan for how input is to be interpreted, developed and put to use. The ecosystem actors should approach this as a continuous dialogue that generates both a greater understanding and ownership of local and regional projects and initiatives.

A circular innovation ecosystem grounded in an inclusive society must link innovation strategies to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, reduce waste, reuse resources, and create closed-loop systems. Ecosystems must consider how new technologies, new business models, and co-creation can accelerate the green shift and contribute to reducing greenhouse emissions. Concrete measures and necessary adaptations to standards and regulations must be developed to achieve this goal, with an emphasis on environmentally friendly transportation and supply logistics, new energy solutions, and more energy-effective buildings. The ecosystem must prioritize the protection of natural functions of ecosystems and non-human entities, while also accounting for and addressing concerns around the application of the rights of nature on the ground, including stewardship by humans, potential ventriloquism and instrumentalization.