The university as a RIS3 entrepreneurial discovery process’s strategic agent: the Marche Region case

Since 2014, the Smart Specialization Strategies (RIS3) have allowed for the activation of Quadruple Helix (QH) collaborations to implement regional innovation actions to solve business and societal challenges towards more digital and sustainable regional development models. Universities can contribute to RIS3 by both actively participating as part of the QH in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP), but also as neutral facilitators, by co-leading it. This study focuses on the case of the Marche Region RIS3 revision process and on the involvement of the University of Macerata (UNIMC, Italy) as co-leader of the EDP to investigate its strategic agent role in RIS3. The study compares two EDPs (RIS3 design and revision) in the Marche Region. During EDP2, the university co-led the stakeholder engagement process. Results assess the university’s strategic role in RIS3, in the context of collaborative governance structures.