University Incubation
The context
The University Business Incubator (UBI) is a unique part of an innovation ecosystem that provides various support services to university-related startups, mainly in the embryonic stage. They play a significant role in educating, launching and promoting entrepreneurs at universities. However, as universities expand their mission objectives and industry’s expectations of academia are changing, UBIs are again looking for what might be a sustainable startup incubation model.
The project
Our project focuses on UBI practices worldwide, investigating incubation models through expert interviews and professional data analysis. Structured as a global benchmark, this project collects insight from incubator practices from around the world, including Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Denmark, China, Canada, Italy, and others. Semi-structured data from approximately 60 to 70 incubators is analyzed using fsQCA techniques, resulting in better insights about processes, resources, and capabilities necessary to improve university incubation performance. The results will be summarized in a report available to participating incubators, with scientific publication based on anonymized data aimed at leading innovation and entrepreneurship journals.
The UBI project was initiated in 2019 and is expected to be concluded in 2024. It is part of the Incubation Research Program at GLORAD, with collaborating researchers at EBS, Politecnico Milano, IESEG, and CBS.
How to get involved
Saken Kazhenov is a Ph.D. fellow at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and leads the UBI project. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Publications and reports:
The University Business Incubator (UBI) is a unique part of an innovation ecosystem that provides various support services to university-related startups, mainly in the embryonic stage. They play a significant role in educating, launching and promoting entrepreneurs at universities. However, as universities expand their mission objectives and industry’s expectations of academia are changing, UBIs are again looking for what might be a sustainable startup incubation model.
The project
Our project focuses on UBI practices worldwide, investigating incubation models through expert interviews and professional data analysis. Structured as a global benchmark, this project collects insight from incubator practices from around the world, including Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Denmark, China, Canada, Italy, and others. Semi-structured data from approximately 60 to 70 incubators is analyzed using fsQCA techniques, resulting in better insights about processes, resources, and capabilities necessary to improve university incubation performance. The results will be summarized in a report available to participating incubators, with scientific publication based on anonymized data aimed at leading innovation and entrepreneurship journals.
The UBI project was initiated in 2019 and is expected to be concluded in 2024. It is part of the Incubation Research Program at GLORAD, with collaborating researchers at EBS, Politecnico Milano, IESEG, and CBS.
How to get involved
Saken Kazhenov is a Ph.D. fellow at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and leads the UBI project. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Publications and reports:
- Zedtwitz, 2003. Classification and Management of Incubators. IJEIM. (Download here)
- Ruping & Zedtwitz, 2003. Risk Management in Incubators. MoT Book Chapter. (Download here)
- Zedtwitz & Que, 2004. Internal Incubators in Chinese SOEs. Asia-Pacific Tech Monitor. (Download here)
- Carayannis & Zedtwitz, 2005. Real-virtual Incubator Networks. Technovation. (Download here)
- Zedtwitz & Grimaldi, 2006. The Core Services of Start-up Incubators. Journal of Technology Transfer. (Download here)