Edvards Francis Kuks is Head of the Smart Specialisation Unit (RIS3) Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Ministry of Education and Science. Edvards has studied science policy at Maastricht University, and works with national and international research programmes to promote evidence-informed policymaking. He serves in several National Research Programmes’ implementation and monitoring committees, as well as in international fora of the European Commission and the OECD.