The Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) priority areas.

As part of the planned activities on the agenda for accession to the European Union, in 2017, the Republic of Albania began the process of preparing for the development of S3, by implementing the methodology and guidelines of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC).

S3 is an interweaving of industrial, educational, research/scientific, and innovation policies aimed at creating economic growth by using a country’s competitive advantages. S3 aims to address the key socio-economic challenges facing Albania through better alignment between innovation and research and development capabilities and development opportunities. As part of this initiative, in 2021, a group of independent experts conducted a detailed analysis of the capacities, resources, and competitive advantages that Albania possesses. This identified six priority areas for development, in which Albania needs to specialize intelligently to provide them with added value in the economy:

1. Agriculture, Fishing & Aquaculture, and Forestry
2. Manufacturing
3. Energy
4. Tourism
5. ICT
6. BPO

One of the most distinctive and important features of the S3 development methodology is the application of a bottom-up approach, otherwise known as the “Entrepreneurial Discovery Process – EDP.” This comprehensive process makes it possible to identify and prioritize key activities that link innovation and research and development with economic growth. This is achieved through structured consultation with all actors involved in what is known as the “4-helix” (1. Central and local government, 2. Academia, 3. Business, 4. Civil Society).

In this process, each actor plays an important role in this phase, highlighting the leading role of entrepreneurship and manufacturing to identify strategic priorities for intelligent development, the role of academia to offer specialization in line with the country’s development priorities, that of civil society as a driver of change and the voice of society in the process, and finally, the role of central and local government in translating these needs and priorities into concrete policies with an impact on innovative priority sectors.

In this context, the National S3 Team, under the auspices of the Deputy Prime Minister and with the support of the Albanian Producers Union, invites representatives from the business sector, civil society, academia, as well as central and local government, to a joint roundtable to discuss further assessment of the full potential of the ICT sector (Information and Communication Technology), identified as one of the potential priority sectors for the country’s intelligent economic development during the phase.