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1. Introduction to the empirical and institutional dimensions of smart specialisation / Philip McCann, Frank van Oort and John Goddard -- 2. The intellectual and practical bases of the application of RIS3 within EU cohesion policy / Philip McCann and Raquel Ortega-Argiles -- 3. Regional diversification and smart specialization policy / Ron Boschma -- 4. Local industry structure as a resource-base for entrepreneurship : implications for smart specialization strategies -- 5. Regional innovation and the network structure of university-industry links / Robert Huggins and Daniel Prokop -- 6. Good growth, bad growth : a wake-up call of smart specialisation / Mark Thissen, Frank Van Oort and Olga Ivanova -- 7. New measures of regional competitiveness in a globalizing world / Bart Los, Maureen Lankhuizen and Mark Thissen -- 8. The co-evolution of regional innovation domains and institutional arrangements : smart specialisation through quadruple helix relations? / Paul Vallance -- 9. Smart specialisation and local economic development in Eastern Europe / Teodora Dogaru, Frank Van Oort and Nicola Cortinovis -- 10. From plan to process : exploring the human element in smart specialisation governance / Mari Jose Aranguren, Mikel Navarro and James R. Wilson -- 11. Entrepreneurship, networks and recombinant open innovation : lessons for regional policy / Robert Huggins.

Risk analysis (RA) has been proposed as a means of assessing fitness for use of spatial data but is only rarely adopted. The proposal is that better decisions can be made by accounting for risks due to errors in spatial data. Why is RA so rarely adopted? Most geographical information science (GISc) literature stresses educational and technical constraints. In this article we propose, based on decision theory, a number of hypotheses for why the user would be more or less willing to spend resources on RA. The hypotheses were tested with a questionnaire, which showed that the willingness to spend resources on RA depends on the presence of feedback mechanisms in the decision‐making process, on how much is at stake, and to a minor extent on how well the decision‐making process can be modeled.

We analyse inter-regional research collaboration as measured by scientific publications and patents with multiple addresses, covering 1316 NUTS3 regions in 29 European countries. The estimates of gravity equations show the effects of geographical and institutional distance on research collaboration. We also find evidence for the existence of elite structures between excellence regions and between capital regions. The results suggest that current EU science policy to stimulate research collaboration is legitimate, but doubt the compatibility between EU science policy and EU cohesion policy.

BACKGROUND: Fragrance mix I (FM I) and fragrance mix II (FM II) in the European baseline series are used as screening tools for fragrance contact allergy. In 2005 the European Union (EU) required labelling of 26 fragrances when present in cosmetic products. INCI nomenclature is obligatory for such labelling. OBJECTIVES: To describe frequencies of contact allergy to these 26 fragrance substances, and to evaluate clinical relevance of these positive reactions. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty patients with eczema suspected of being contact allergy to fragrances or cosmetics were patch tested with the EU-declared fragrance chemicals, FM I and FM II. RESULTS: There were 76 positive reactions in 33 patients. Most reactions were seen to [corrected] hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde in 3.1%, followed by Evernia furfuracea (2.5%) and cinnamyl alcohol (2.5%). Twelve reactions to FM I and II were not confirmed by separate ingredients. Clinical relevance of positive reactions to fragrances was certain in 20/33 (61%). CONCLUSIONS: 10.3% of the patients had positive patch tests in the EU-list. Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, a component of FM II, was the most frequent allergen, followed by Evernia furfuracea. Since Evernia furfuracea is not part of FM I or FM II, relevant reactions can be missed when only the European baseline series is used.