The smart specialization strategies (hereinafter S3) is one of the 2014-2020 cohesion strategies. It derives from an european initiative aimed at identifying for different territories, the investment priorities for the research, development and innovation that would enable the completion of the resources and strengthening of the production capacities of a specific territory in order to support the sustainable growth in the medium and long term. The S3 in the framework of the 2014-2020 programming of the cohesion policy is characterized by driven by innovation-driven interventions for the economic and social development of the territories and managed by the means of a new multi-level and multi-stakeholder governance model.

The identification of priorities is entrusted to a cooperation process between the public and private sectors, which involves entrepreneurs able to combine scientific, technological and engineering knowledge with knowledge of the market.

The Regulation establishing the provisions on European Structural and Investment Funds (EU Regulation 1303/2013) defines the S3 strategy as the prerequisite for the use of available resources to strengthen research, technological development and innovation (Thematic Objective 1). The regional S3 (21) and the national one thus represent the strategic framework for the planning and implementation of research, technological development and innovation policy interventions.

Nota operativa sul Monitoraggio dei progetti della Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), Nota RGS-IGRUE  n. 235093 del 31 ottobre 2018