**1st SPICE Meeting** 25th ICECE Work Group Meeting

Poznan, Poland
21 Mar 1998

This meeting at the same time was the 1st SPICE Group Meeting. The Polish Business and Innovation Center Association, PBICA together with the A. Mickiewicz University organized the first international conference on science and technology parks from March 20 - 21, 1998. This conference found greatest interest in Poland and was attended by 180 participants from all over the country. Most of the foreign experts presenting at the conference and moderating workshops and sessions were member of the ICECE Work Group.

This conference offered the perfect framework for holding the 1st SPICE Meeting after the new Charter ("Aims and Organization" became effective on January 1, 1998. At the SPICE Group meeting the Board was elected: Heinz Fiedler, President, Janis Stabulnieks, Vice President, Krzysztof Zasiadly, Vice President, Slava Khodko, Regional Director and Peter Nagy, Regional Director. Decision was taken as well on the budget for the year 1998 and the project "Job Creation in Central Europe".

<h3>Activities between the Meetings</h3>

A workshop at CITAF in Bucharest (ICECE Meeting No. 25a), was held April 24, 1998 to prepare the GMF Study Tour to the USA. This Workshop established new contacts with greatest potential. It brought together people with different institutional backgrounds, from innovation centers, technology transfer institutes, research as well as governmental organizations. ICECE/SPICE Members presented were Dominica Cotet, Heinz Fiedler and Ioan Piturescu.

May 10, 1998, a sunny and warm Sunday, was the date for the ICECE Meeting No. 25b. Some 60 experts in business incubation arrived at the BIC Pilsen, Czech Republic. Jan Vratnik and his team welcomed this group, introduced the participants to the business and innovation center and presented the development of a science and technology park. ICECE/SPICE Members presented were Heinz Fiedler, Christian Herrmann and Jan Vratnik.

The Czech - German Workshop, held at the ADT Spring Conference in Neukirchen, Bavaria (ICECE Meeting No. 25c): This workshop helped establishing many new contacts between German and Czech partners and resulted in a number of challenging projects ideas in the field of public - private - partnership. ICECE/SPICE Members present were Jiri Coupek, Heinz Fiedler, Christian Herrmann, Uwe Hoppe and Pawel Svejda.

The first SPICE Study Tour to the USA was organized in May/June 1998 for ten participants from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Germany was organized together with the NBIA and financially supported by the German Marshall Found of the United States.

Host:
Contact: