Impact and Performance of University-linked Business Incubators and Accelerators – World Benchmark 17/18

Impact and Performance of University-linked Business Incubators and Accelerators – World Benchmark 17/18

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An in-depth look behind the scenes in the operations, challenges and, opportunities for university-linked business incubators and accelerators around the world

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Around the world, entrepreneurs and their startups have become the central drivers of economic growth and innovation. These new ventures rely heavily on technological innovation, cutting-edge research and highly educated employees, which makes university-linked business incubators and accelerators a crucial element in many startups’ journey from idea to a successful venture.

By taking a worldwide wide perspective, it is possible to identify which qualities make a top incubation program successful and how these programs´ ecosystems and idiosyncrasies interact with their relative impact and performance.

Based on original data from 259 business incubators and accelerators located in 6 regions and 53 countries, this year’s iteration is the most comprehensive comparative study of university-linked incubation programs worldwide.

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The UBI World Benchmark Report 2017 – 2018 is the 4th edition of the most comprehensive benchmark study of university-linked business incubators and accelerators

The vast amount of data collected, and the insights derived from it will be used by incubator and accelerator managers to improve their programs, to assist government officials in developing their respective innovation ecosystems, and to assist investors, partners, and sponsors to make informed decisions. Founders keen to develop their skills, raise capital, and increase their chances of success will also find this data invaluable in assisting them to find the perfect program.

In the new edition of this unique report, over 1,300 programs were assessed of which 822 were deemed qualified, and a final 259 vetted group provided and completed the different stages of data verification and were included in the benchmark process. This 72-page report measures incubation programs using the updated UBI Global framework with 21 streamlined key performance indicators that now considers both impact and performance dimensions for the scoring mechanism.

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Some of the key data points detailed in this report include:

• Trending sectors, industries and technologies

• Yearly operational budget and expenditure breakdown

• Number of employees

• Number of client startups

• Duration of the incubation program

• Available funding from all sources

• Amount of financial sponsorship attracted

• Number of events (co-)organized

• Number of partners and sponsors

This report provides an overview of the most intriguing results of the World Benchmark Study 2017 – 2018. It visualizes the state of innovation ecosystems internationally, illustrates key challenges and opportunities faced by the incubation programs, and highlights differences in impact and performance between global incubation programs both at the top of the scale and on average.

The World Benchmark Report 17/18: Impact and Performance of University-linked Business Incubators and Accelerators is the latest report from UBI Global, a pioneer in measuring and analyzing the impact and performance of university-linked business incubators and accelerators. Based in Stockholm Sweden and with an international research team, UBI Global seeks to help incubation programs become more efficient and competitive and to empower the development of next-generation entrepreneurs.

About the Author

The author of the report is Holger Meyer, a Stockholm-based researcher, and entrepreneur who in his role of Head of Research spearheads the backbone of UBI Global efforts. Holger holds a Ph.D. in International Affairs and Political Science from The University of Georgia, USA and has previously taught University courses in the United States, France, and New Zealand and frequently presented his research at leading international conferences.

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