The article sets out the dimensions of engagement with a place brand and illustratrates the interconnectedness of the place-brand actor roles (Quadruple Helix counterparts) with the regional Smart Specialisation Strategy (S4) of the European Union objectives and their strategic significance to the place-brand. Special attention will be paid to the role of a university in a place-brand value co-creation ecosystem. The case data is from two development projects that have been implemented in the province of Satakunta in Finland (2020-2022).

The S4 strategy emphasises the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP). It is inherently concerned with
stakeholder engagement and co-creation and aims to facilitate the identification of regional strengths and
leveraging them for growth and sustainability enhancement (Komninos et al., 2021). Additionally, the ever-deepening influence of technology and data ina dynamic place-brand ecosystem context, in the form of the digital transformation and utilisation of smart technologies including social media, big data, and mobile technologies in place-brand development, is becoming imperative for most organisations targeting economic and sustainability goals (Pohjola et al., 2020; Mariani et al., 2018).