Quadruple and Quintuple Helix innovation systems are based on democracy and ecology. Two propositions are here key: (1) without a democracy or knowledge democracy, the further advancement of knowledge and innovation are seriously constrained, so in that sense, knowledge and innovation evolution depend on democracy and knowledge democracy; (2) ecology and environmental protection represent a necessity and challenge for humanity, but they also act as drivers for further knowledge and innovation (this should lead to a win–win situation for ecology and innovation). Therefore, for an innovation system to be a Quadruple/Quintuple Helix innovation system, the political regime hosting these helixes needs to be democratic in essence, not just in form. The next stage in evolution of innovation systems may be that this also will require a “democracy of climate” (promoting a social, cultural, economic, and political “climate for democracy”), where democracies as innovation enablers are creating innovation that regard the ecology as a crucial driver for further innovation and for responsible innovation.

四重和五重螺旋创新系统基于民主和生态。这里有两个命题是关键的：（1）没有民主或知识民主，知识和创新的进一步发展受到严重制约，因此，从这个意义上讲，知识和创新的演进取决于民主和知识民主；（2）生态和环境保护是人类的必要性和挑战，但它们也是进一步的知识和创新的推动力（这将导致生态和创新的双赢局面）。因此，要使创新系统成为“四重/五倍螺旋”创新系统，托管这些螺旋的政治体制就本质上需要民主，而不仅仅是形式上的民主。