They noted that definitions of these tools have to be flexible to fit current usage. The business incubator should not be considered simply as a facility, which offers office and production space for start-up entrepreneurs, but rather as a complex of services put at the disposal of entrepreneurs in order to make quite sure that the chances of success of the enterprise increase. Incubation without space is a recognized form of economic development, but without space to rent, sustained operation is much more difficult. The Expert Meeting stated that in some CITs legal frameworks may need to be established or modified to encourage the creation and operation of business incubation.
Business incubation is primarily a tool of regional development .
National governments can facilitate and coordinate, but local governments must help provide the appropriate environment. Many business incubators focus on a particular expertise, often one based on the skills in their locality. Many business incubators receive start-up support for a few years and then are expected to sustain themselves indefinitely. Sustainability must be a consideration of business incubation from the beginning of the operation. The amount of investment necessary to meet this criteria has to be calculated at the beginning of implementation of the incubation project.