**6th World Summit of Associations** 61st SPICE Group Meeting 93rd ICECE event

Dortmund, Germany
16 – 18 Nov 2002

Hosted by Rolf Friedrichsdorf, Vice Chairman of ADT, Association of German Technology and Business Incubation Centers and SPICE Group the 6th International Summit of Business Incubation and Science Park Associations brought together attendees from 19 countries representing 21 associations.

The main topics of the Summit were Benchmarking, Quality of Services and Certification for Innovations Centers. Participants presented short statements about these topics and the very lively discussion proved that these matters are considered being very important for future development of innovation centers. With this Summit an international exchange of information, experience and know how in these fields began, aimed at finding common ground and potentials for joint activities. After several weeks of discussion at a number of meetings (e.g. in Tartu, Estonia or Mierzecin, Poland), a Resolution was proposed to the Summit. This document in 10 statements contains important basic information about the common basis of the work of innovation centers. Furthermore it defines concrete areas of international cooperation between the associations. The Summit discussed the statements with highest interest and engagement under the moderation of Dinah Adkins, (USA), Janis Stabulnieks (Latvia) and Krzysztof Zasiadly (Poland).

Finally the Dortmund Resolution became a cornerstone for global cooperation, the first internationally agreed basic document on business incubation agreed by 27 national and international associations (including those, who could not be present at the Summit, but agreed with the Resolution beforehand).

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