Introduction

The ‘entrepreneurial discovery process’ (EDP) is the cornerstone of smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) and the smart specialisation (S3) approach, more generally. On the one hand, doing it right is a sine qua non condition for the success of S3. On the other hand, however, capturing its essence in implementation-friendly terms is so notoriously difficult that a famous dictum, and ultimate easy way out, comes to mind (even if it emerged in an entirely unrelated context): ‘I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it’ (US Supreme Court Justice Stewart is credited with it).