Exploring the third mission of Universities: a Scientometric Approach using Bibliometrix

Frame of the research. In the dynamic landscape of higher education, universities are undergoing a profound transformation, expanding their roles beyond traditional teaching and research to embrace the “third mission”. This mission involves active engagement with society through social innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable development. Purpose of the paper. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution, academic structures, and future trends related to the third mission of universities. Through a bibliometric analysis of 364 articles from Scopus, we seek to quantify the growth, identify critical knowledge nodes, and visualise the relationships within this evolving field. Methodology. Employing bibliometric analysis, we analysed the corpus of 364 scientific articles. By utilising keywords ‘third mission’ and ‘university’ on the Scopus scientific database, we identified relevant contributions and applied bibliometric techniques to unveil conceptual, social, and intellectual structures characterising the literature. Results. Our analysis reveals a consistent upward trajectory in the academic discourse on the third mission over the past two decades. We observe a shift from traditional roles to an increased focus on innovation and socio-economic development. Additionally, our study uncovers key structures, including conceptual, intellectual, and social dimensions, that shape the discourse in this field. Research limitations. While our study provides valuable insights, it is not without limitations. The scope is limited to articles available on the Scopus platform using specific keywords. Certain nuances of the third mission may not be fully captured, and variations across different academic disciplines and socio-cultural contexts may exist. Managerial implications. Recognizing the evolving role of universities’ third mission, our findings have implications for academic leaders and policymakers. The identified structures and trends can stimulate the reconfiguration and renovation of academic organisational and governance structures, foster strategic partnerships, and inform the evaluation of university activities. Originality of the paper. This paper contributes to the scholarly debate by adopting a bibliometric analysis approach, offering a quantitative overview of the research landscape. Unlike traditional systematic literature reviews, our approach allows for a broad and efficient mapping of the field, revealing patterns of collaboration and scholarly influence.