Dortmund has historically been an industrial area. Dortmund is now home to a number of medium-sized information technology companies, many linked to the local university Technologie Zentrum Dortmund program. The city works closely with research institutes, private universities, and companies to collaborate on the commercialization of science initiatives.
In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow
