Slovenia can be considered one of the better functioning Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) examples among European countries considering that the nation-state has set up consistent priorities with an adjusted policy mix and an especially well functioning governance structure already.
RIS3 has served as an agent of change whereby triple-helix actors organized themselves around the RIS3 targeted Strategic Research and Innovation Partnerships. This process should now be taken to the next level, by introducing evidence based on micro-data that might inform strategies for internationalization based on place-specific competencies and resulting in targeted policy initiatives that should guide the mid-term revision of the Slovenian S3 strategy, which is foreseen for 2019. In this process Slovenia could serve as a pilot example of demonstrate how frontier research methodologies and innovative micro-data sources paired with advancements in theories that pertain to knowledge-based and innovation-driven economic development approaches could lead to more effective and efficient RIS3 implementation.
The study’s objective is to perform a full knowledge, product and skill space analysis for Slovenia and subsequently identify key local and international entities (firms, institutions) in order support S3 development for future growth potential in science, technology and industrial activities.