Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP)
Stakeholder-driven process to identify regional innovation priorities.
How the laws define this
Both frameworks establish the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process as a participatory mechanism that brings together business or industry, academia, government or public authorities, and civil society or other stakeholders to identify smart specialisation priorities and update strategic goals or investments. They concur that this collaborative process directly informs priority setting and the updating of strategy priorities. Where they differ is in their operational scope and implementation detail. The Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation of the Slovak Republic 2021–2027 (SK RIS3 2021+) explicitly defines the process as a structured, iterative mechanism tied to call design, domain selection, and scheduled periodic revisions occurring every one to two years. Conversely, the Strategija pametne specijalizacije (S3) – S3 2029 revision highlights the role of the mechanism in informing thematic innovation councils and ensuring stakeholder ownership of strategy design and interventions, without establishing fixed one-to-two-year revision schedules or explicit links to call design.
Synthesised from the 2 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.
How jurisdictions differ
What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first.
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Status | What is distinctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation of the Slovak Republic 2021–2027 (SK RIS3 2021+) | In Force | Emphasizes iterative mechanism for setting priorities and periodic revisions, including call design, beyond just identification. |
| Croatia | Smart Specialisation Strategy, S3 2029 | Adopted | Highlights validation of opportunities, links to thematic innovation councils, and ensures stakeholder ownership of interventions. |
Definitions (2)
The Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) is the participatory mechanism by which industry, academia, government and civil society identify and validate innovation opportunities and priority areas for S3 investment. The EDP underpins updating of priorities, informs thematic innovation councils, and ensures stakeholder ownership of strategy design and interventions.
A structured, iterative participatory mechanism engaging business, academia, public authorities and other stakeholders to identify smart specialisation domains, set priorities and update transformation goals; used to inform domain selection, call design and periodic (1–2 year) revisions of the strategy.
Not to be confused with
TIV is a sectoral council that conducts the EDP, while EDP is the participatory process itself led by such councils.
TPP is a targeted investment area identified through EDP, whereas EDP is the process to select those priorities.
Questions and answers
What is the role of EDP in smart specialisation strategies?
EDP engages stakeholders to identify and update innovation priorities, as defined in both Slovak and Croatian strategies.
How does EDP support strategy updates?
It enables periodic revisions every 1-2 years and informs ongoing adjustments to priorities and interventions.
Who participates in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process?
Business, academia, public authorities, and civil society stakeholders collaborate to validate S3 priorities.
Related Terms
Thematic Innovation Council (TIV)
Sectoral council to run EDPs and co-design interventions....
innovation ecosystem
Network of public, private and academic actors supporting R&D and commercialization....
Thematic Priority (TPP)
A strategic sectoral area targeted for public RDI investment....
Innovation ecosystems
Networks of actors that co-produce innovation....
Innovation
Creation and implementation of new value-adding solutions....