EN

The Smart Guide to Innovation-

Based Incubators (IBI)
February 2010
Foreword
The EUs Cohesion Policy has New knowledge and new ideas
been supporting authorities and are created every day across
stakeholders to deliver innovation Europe. Transferring them
in their regions for many years. into real innovation - a new
Promoting incubation and economic activity that creates
growth of small innovative firms jobs and wealth - is facilitated
is singled out in the EU2020 by supporting those that have
strategy, proposed by President been inspired by new ideas and
Barroso, as one of the ways of knowledge.
creating value by basing growth Business incubators have a long
on knowledge. history in supporting research
Given the huge diversity of regions across the EU27, and and development based start-ups from academic and research
the great complexity of innovation processes, we need to institutes. But with the changing nature of innovation, the
gather forces for this task. This guide shows that Commission incubators and the support services they provide must also
departments working together can make it happen and reach be open to change.
a larger number of Managing Authorities and stakeholders. Business incubation for knowledge intensive services or in the
It is an easy-to-read guide for those directly involved with creative industries has to respond to needs which are different
delivering innovation in the regions - those who create and from those for biotech companies. The case studies included
design the projects that make innovative businesses strive, in the guide show this immense diversity of creativity as
that bring new entrepreneurs to the market place, and that source for innovation.
help to transform ideas into action. Good incubation services have to cover a broad range of
We are proud that the European BIC Network, launched in innovation support services in the region and in Europe.
the mid 80s under Cohesion Policy, is now an independent Ever more start-up companies are born-globals, based on a
organisation globally recognised for its expertise in incubation business idea that immediately addresses an international
processes and the provision of high quality services to market.
businesses and innovation. This guide owes much to their The guide provides several examples of how incubators acting
existence. as networks successfully support young companies to make
We hope that you will find it a valuable tool for action. the most of the opportunities offered by the EU.

Katarna Mathernov
Franoise Le Bail
Deputy Director General
Deputy Director General
DG Regional Policy
DG Enterprise and Industry


The Smart Guide to Innovation-Based Incubators (IBI)

The guide was prepared by the EBN team, Mr. Giordano Dichter (Quality &

Technical Assistant Manager), assisted by Mr. Gonalo Reis (Quality Officer)

and by Mrs. Nathalie Marchand (Communication Manager). It was supervised

by Mr. Philippe Vanrie (CEO).

Contents
1. Tostartwith,afewquestionsandtheiranswers........................................................................4
1.1 WhyaSmartGuideonInnovationBasedIncubators?...........................................................4
1.2 Whatisinnovation?.................................................................................................................4
1.3 Whatisincubation?.................................................................................................................5
1.4 Whatisanincubator?.............................................................................................................6
1.5 Whatisaninnovationbasedincubator(IBI)?.........................................................................8
2. SettingupanInnovationbasedincubator....................................................................................11
2.1 TheMissionstatementandthestrategicgoals....................................................................11
2.2 Thepreconditions..................................................................................................................12
2.3 PositioninganIBI...................................................................................................................13
2.4 EngineeringtheIBI................................................................................................................16
2.5 AfocusontheservicesofanIBI............................................................................................19
2.5.1 Servicesinthepreincubationstage.............................................................................19
2.5.2 Servicesintheincubationstage....................................................................................20
2.5.3 ServicesforexistingSMEs.............................................................................................23
2.6 OrganizationofanInnovationbasedincubator...................................................................24
2.7 CostandincomeModel.........................................................................................................27
3. NetworkingofanIBIforthebenefitofanentrepreneur...........................................................29
4. TheimpactassessmentofanIBI...................................................................................................33
4.1 Firstsomequestionsandtheiranswers..........................................................................33
4.1.1 Whatismonitoring?...................................................................................................33
4.1.2 WhatisBenchmarking?.............................................................................................33
4.1.3 Whymonitorandbenchmark?.....................................................................................33
4.2 Indicators...............................................................................................................................34
4.3 Applyingindicatorstotheincubationprocess......................................................................35
5. Tosummarize12tipsifyouareplanningtosetupanIBI.........................................................37
6. Bibliographicreferences................................................................................................................38
6.1 Publications...........................................................................................................................38
6.2 Websites................................................................................................................................38

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TableofFigures

Figure1:theincubationprocess.............................................................................................................6
Figure2:IBIs,whereentrepreneurshipmeetsinnovation.....................................................................8
Figure3:breakdownofprojecttypologywithintheBusinessInnovationCentres(sourceEBNquality
system)....................................................................................................................................................9
Figure4:Vision,Mission,GoalsofanIBI..............................................................................................11
Figure5:thepreconditionsforsettingupanIBI.................................................................................13
Figure6:factorsinfluencingthepositioningofanIBI..........................................................................14
Figure7:IncubatorswithinScienceandTechnologyParks(Source:IASP)...........................................15
Figure8:publicsupporttotheregionalsystemsforinnovation..........................................................15
Figure9:mainissuesconcerningthesetupofanIBI...........................................................................16
Figure10:thelegalstatuswithintheEBNnetwork(source:EBNqualitysystem)...............................17
Figure11:targetbeneficiariesandendusersofanIBI........................................................................18
Figure12:keyqualificationswithintheEBNnetwork(Source:EBNQualitysystem)..........................19
Figure13:thepreincubationstage......................................................................................................19
Figure14:theincubationstage.............................................................................................................20
Figure15:somenumbersonphysicalincubationinEurope(source:EBNQualitysystem).................21
Figure16:breakdownofaccesstofinanceservicesofferedinEuropebytheBICs(Source:EBNQuality
system)..................................................................................................................................................22
Figure17:mainservicesforSMEsofferedbyanIBI.............................................................................23
Figure18:toolstoeasetheincubationprocess...................................................................................23
Figure19:servicesmostoftenprovidedintheUKIBIs(Source:UKBI)................................................24
Figure20:issuestoconsiderwhenplanningtheinternalorganizationofanIBI.................................24
Figure21:theneededinfrastructure....................................................................................................25
Figure22:thehumanresources...........................................................................................................26
Figure23:thesizeoftheBICsnetworkedbyEBN(Source:EBNQualitysystem)................................27
Figure24:mainsourcesofincomeofanIBI.........................................................................................27
Figure25:maincategoriesofexpensesofanIBI..................................................................................28
Figure26:examplesofnationalnetworksofIBIs.................................................................................31
Figure27:exampleofspecialpurposenetworksforIBIs.....................................................................32
Figure28:SMARTIndicators.................................................................................................................35
Figure29:someindicatorsassociatedtotheincubationprocess........................................................36

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1. To start with, a few questions and their answers.

1.1 Why a Smart Guide on Innovation-Based Incubators?

InnovationbasedincubationisnotthemostrecentsubjectinEuropeperse.itisoveraquarterofa
centurythattheEuropeanCommissionhastriggeredthephenomenathroughtheestablishmentof
policies and actions aimed at boosting innovation within Europe as a method to support regional
development practices and SME competitiveness. Indeed it was over 25 year ago that DGRegio
launchedtheconceptoftheEuropeanCommissionBusinessandInnovationCentres(ECBIC).This
was later on taken on board by DG Enterprise and Industry which developed a quality system to
managetheECBICLabel.Over150fullycertifiedBICsarenowworkinginEU27onmorethan200
sites, networked and supported by EBN (the European BIC Network), an NGO based in Brussels,
created 25 years go at the initiative of the EC, as well! Many other nonECled experiences have
sprungaroundEurope,andinnovationbasedincubatorsarenowarealityallovertheworld.After
over25yearsofpracticesandpolicieslessonshavebeenlearnedontheconceptofinnovationbased
incubationandmorespecificallyontheconceptofinnovationbasedincubators(IBI).Itisnowadays
possibletounderstandwhatarethekeyelementsoftheirsuccess,whattotakeintoconsideration
when a region, or a local territory, is thinking to resort to this tool to strengthen and carry out
policies for innovation and SME support, and, mostly, what to do and what not to do when
positioning,engineeringandorganizinganIBI.Hence,theaimoftheSmartGuideistoprovidethe
localstakeholdersofaregionincludingtheManagingAuthoritiesofCohesionPolicyFundsaninsight
onthescopesofIBIsandonthepathsandstepsneededtosetupsuccessfulones.ThisSmartGuide
isaddressedtothem.Itiscomposedoftwoparts,thefirstonehighlightingtheconditionstomeet,
theactorstogather,theservicestodevelop,thecoststofaceandthetargetstomeasure,tocreate
successful IBIs, the second one describing study cases which have been analyzed in Europe and
beyond1.

1.2 What is innovation?

Probably there are as many definitions of innovation as the number of innovationpractitioners on

thefield,sowhenassessingwhatinnovationis,itisadvisabletousethewidestdefinitionpossible.
WhereasitcanbestatedthatToinnovateistheapplicationofsomethingnewforaspecificuse.
Whoever will use the innovation will therefore perceive an added value in its introduction, added
valuewhichmaybemeasuredinmanyways,notonlyinfinancialterms.Thisleadstothefollowing
definitionofinnovation:

Innovationisachangethatcreatesand/oraddsvalue,andprovidesacompetitiveadvantageHERE
andNOW

1
ToviewthestudycasespleaserefertothefollowingURL:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/working/sf2000_en.htm

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To innovate implies a very sharp understanding of the reality, and a high degree of creativity.
Understanding how things work, how they can be improved and what is actually missing (yet non
existing).Applyingcreativityandimaginationtocreate,scoutandfindnoveltieswhichuserswould
perceive as having an added value, therefore providing a wider, if not completely new, market for
them,andthereforehighlightingtheexistinglinksamonginnovationandentrepreneurs.

Already in 1934 the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter, the first economist to address the
importance of innovation within the economic cycles, considered entrepreneurship with a specific
emphasisoninnovation.Inhisview,stillvalidtoday,innovationdealswith:

newproducts,
newproductionmethods,
newmarkets,
newformsoforganization

Moreover innovation and entrepreneurship are profoundly embedded in their territorial realities,
whichintheEU27,differenormouslynotonlyintermsofeconomicsectors,butalsointermsoftheir
history, their cultures, their traditions and their political background. Therefore, while the basic
concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation and incubation and the associated terminology must be
commonlyacceptedandshared,whenputtingintopracticeactionstowardsthecreationofnewIBIs,
the different realities and situations must be taken into account since different worlds will have
differentneedsandthereforedifferentanswerstosatisfythem.

1.3 What is incubation?

Incubation is a process which tends to be activated whenever there is a need to support

entrepreneurs in developing their own business. The concept of innovation is not yet being
consideredasinnovationandentrepreneurshiparetwoseparatephenomena,albeitintertwinedtoa
great extent. The same definitions of entrepreneur vary within a range where at one extreme an
entrepreneurisanyonewhoisselfemployedorinbusiness,andattheotheranentrepreneurisa
personwhopioneerschange.

The process, or parts of it, is put in place whenever there is a need of nurturing wouldbe
entrepreneurstothinkoverandfurtherdevelopthebusinessideaandtransformingitintoaviable
andsustainableactivity.

Therearethreestagesofincubation:

Preincubation relates to the overall activities needed to support the potential entrepreneur in
developinghisbusinessidea,businessmodelandbusinessplan,toboostthechancestoarrivetoan
effectivestartupcreation.Itusuallyimpliesafirstassessmentoftheidea,training,anddirectone
tooneassistancenecessarytoputtheclientintheconditionstowriteafullycompletebusinessplan.
Universityaffiliatedincubatorsareusuallypreincubators.

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Incubation concerns the support given to the entrepreneur from the startup to the expansion
phase.Typicallythisisamidtermprocess,lastingusuallyforthefirstthreeyearsofactivityofthe
newlyestablishedcompany,whicharetheyearsinwhichitissafetosaywhetherthenewventureis
successful and has a good chance to develop into a fully mature company. The actions activated
generally are access to finance, direct coaching and mentoring services, as well as hosting services
andspecifictraining.Thereforephysicalincubation,althoughaveryimportantservice,isasubsetof
theoverallincubationprocess.

Postincubation, relates to the activities to be carried out when the company has reached the
maturity phase, and therefore is ready to walk on its own feet. It is the time when, If it has been
physicallyincubated,thecompanywillleavetheincubator.Variousservicesmightstillbeneededby
the SME for example to increment its sales or improve its productive processes, such as
internationalization services or innovation introduction through scouting and detection activities.
Incubatorspositionedaspostincubatorssometimerenamethemselvesasaccelerators.

Figure1:theincubationprocess

1.4 What is an incubator?

An incubator is a place where the incubation activities are carried out, and where the wouldbe
entrepreneurs and the existing SMEs find a suitable place, in terms of facilities and expertise, to
addresstheirneedsanddeveloptheirbusinessideas,andtransformthemintosustainablerealities.

An incubator may still bean incubator even if it doesnt provide physical incubation services, and
concentratesonvirtualincubation2.

2
Virtualincubation:thisterminologyappliestoincubatorswithoutwallsandtoeplatformsofonlineservices
deployedbyincubatorswithphysicalpremises.

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Typologiesofincubators:

Preincubators typically offer the services related to the preincubation phase of incubation. They
offertheexpertise(coachinganddirectadvice)andthefacilities(minimumaworkstation)tosupport
potential entrepreneurs in the development of their business ideas and in the elaboration of the
businessplan.

Academic incubators are based in universities and research centres and provide support to those
businessideaswhicheitherareelaboratedbystudentsorarespinoffsofR&Dactivities.

Generalpurposeincubatorsprovideallthesetofservicesfromthepretothepostincubationphase
andprovidethesupporttoallthosewhohaveafeasibleideanotwithstandingtheprovenanceand
theeconomicsectorinvolved.

Sectorspecific incubators provide all the set of services from the pre to the post incubation phase
andprovidethesupporttoallthosewhohaveafeasibleideawithinaspecificeconomicsector(e.g.
environment,agrofood,chemicals,etc.),whichistheexpressionoftherealendogenouspotentialof
theterritorywheretheincubatorislocated.Accordingtothespecificitiesofthesector,thesemay
requirespecificinfrastructuretomeettheneedsoftheclientcompanies.

The Esinet Network, bringing together IBIs active in Space & Sat technologies

ESINET was launched in 2002 with the main objective to create an interactive community of start-
ups, spin-off, entrepreneurs and early stage ventures sharing common interest for innovative Space
& Sat technologies, systems and applications.

ESINET has become the platform of successful space and satellite tech transfer applications that
leads to company creation and acceleration, anchored on a limited number of flagship Innovation
and Incubation Centres: the ESA-BICs, which are located in ESA sites (Noordwijk, Frascati-Rome,
Darmstadt, Redu-Wallonia, Vila Franca-Madrid) or ESA associated sites (Oberpfaffenhofen, Toulouse,
Harwell, etc), and EBN Incubation Centres (Bordeaux, Barcelona, Lige, Stevenage, Nottingham,
Burgos, Trieste, Sofia, Luxembourg, Caen, and others).

Moreover, ESINET brings together a community of SMEs and large corporate from both the space
sector and non-space sectors, major regional stakeholders and established entrepreneurs, all
supported by ESA and EBN on their road to success.

http://www.esinet.eu/

Enterprise hotels, while providing business services to the supported entrepreneurs, concentrate
their effort mainly in physical incubation activities and are a common reality in large metropolitan
areas,whereproductionandofficespacerepresentanimpedingfactor.

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1.5 What is an innovation-based incubator (IBI)?

An IBI is a business development center for new entrepreneurs and SMEs that intend to develop
innovativeideas

Thereisasubsetwherethedomainsofentrepreneurshipandofinnovationfindacommonground,
where ideas are both innovative and profitable, which can be translated in sound businesses
addressingspecificmarkets.Ifentrepreneurshipcanexistwithoutinnovation,theinversecannotbe
stated. An innovation requires entrepreneurship to finally exploit the added value the innovation
generates.

In this case the entrepreneur can be seen as the agent of change the person who can create
valuefromaninnovativeideainacontextofchangeanduncertaintyandthemarketisthetrigger
forittohappen.

Figure2:IBIs,whereentrepreneurshipmeetsinnovation

Innovationbased incubators work in the intersection between the sets of innovation and
entrepreneurshipsupportingentrepreneurstoprofitfromtheaddedvalueofinnovativeideas.

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 Demandpullinnovation

originatesfromtheintentiontosatisfytheneedsexpressedbythemarket
generatesincrementalinnovation
usuallyfitsintoalreadyexistingmarketsandtheirevolvements

Technologypushinnovation

originatesforR&Dactivitiesandfromcompetitiveadvantagesprovidedby
newtechnologies
generatesmoreradicalinnovations
generatesnewmarkets

Innovationbased incubators support innovative business projects which could be either

technologicallyoriented or nontechnologically oriented. Technology therefore is not the only unit
onwhichtomeasurethedegreeofinnovationofabusinessidea.

Technologicalinnovation

oriented

Nontechnologicalinnovation 2006
oriented
2007
2008
Other

Figure3:breakdownofprojecttypologywithintheBusinessInnovationCentres(source
EBNqualitysystem)

Innovation can be found indeed in technology, but also in downstream applications (of a generic
technology),inadvancedandinknowledgeintensiveservices,inbusinessmodels,inmarketingand
customerledprocesses,indesign,instandards,inorganizationandmanagement,

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 The EC-Business and Innovation Centres (EC-BICs)

BICs are support organizations for innovative small and medium
sized businesses (SMEs) and entrepreneurs.

They are recognized through a quality certification scheme, which

enables them to obtain the EC-BIC Label (the only EC label qualifying
IBIs at European level and beyond).

The BICs are an instrument for regional development developed

initially by the European Commission DG-Regio in the mid 80s and
has subsequently been adopted in all Europe and beyond.

Their mission is to contribute to the overall economic and social

development of the regions through the implementation of support
services to entrepreneurs, helping them to transform into reality
their innovative business ideas, and the delivery of tailored services
to existing SMEs, aimed at modernizing and innovating them.

To this end Business and Innovation Centres offer a tailor-made,

integrated system of services, making sure that the overall
incubation process is being delivered, networking its services and
activities with those of the other key actors of the regional system
for innovation.

BICs can assume many forms and can organize themselves in

different ways, as long as they respect the EC-BIC Quality Mark
Criteria, which rule the granting of the EC-BIC Label.

Today there are more than 150 BICs networked by the European BIC
Network, the major network in Europe dedicated to innovation-based
incubators, covering more than 200 operational sites.

For more information http://www.ebn.eu

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2. Se
etting up
p an Inno
ovation-b
based incubator

2.1 Th
he Mission
n statemen
nt and the
e strategic goals.

Innovationbased incubators aree local economic develo opment tools, which favvoring the co onditions
for the creation
c d growth of novel busineess activitiess, contributee actively to the develop
and pment of
the regions where they operatte. In this sense IBIs also have a mission
m of public interrest and
thereforreneedtobeecountedassanactor,amongotherss,whichcan influencereegionaldevelopment.
An actorr who targetts a very specific domaiin of regionaal developm
ment and verry specific endusers,
ultimateebeneficiarieesofitsactionsbeingth heentrepren neurswithin nnovativebu usinessideassandthe
innovativveSMEsofttheregion.

So when n defining th
he mission statement
s an
nd the strattegic goals of
o an IBI, it h
has to be taaken into
considerration that the main issu
ue is to glob
bally refer to
o SMEs and innovative eentrepreneurs as the
direct beneficiaries of the actio
on of an incubator, and to define the qualiq quantitative levels of
supportneededacco ordingtotheespecificitiessoftheregio ontheyintenndtoserve.

V
Vision

Howdoyoudreamtheinnovvationandentrepreneurialsysstemswillbein nthemidterm??
Howwillyoupositiontheterritoryinthereegionalandglobalmarket?

M
Mission

supportingentrepreneursan ndexistingSMEswithintheinn
novationfields

Identifying,ex
xploringanddevelopingregionnalcompetitiveeness
contributingttooverallregionaldevelopmentandtoanincclusivesociety

S
StrategicGoals

Engineeranddeliverservicestotheregionaalentrepreneurialcommunityyandtothepub
blic
authoritiestoaccomplishtheemissionandto
orealizethevission
Createinnovaativeandsustaiinablestartupcompanies

Createhighad ddedvalueandsustainablejobbs
Stimulatingloocalentrepreneeurship
Developinnovvationinexistin
ngSMEs
Wealthcreation

Figure4:Vision,Mission,G
GoalsofanIBI

Although htheexactd definitionofthemissionofanIBIdependsmassiivelyonthe characteristicsofthe

territoryy it intends to serve, itt must alwaays relate to
o the stimu
ulation and the develop
pment of
innovativvebusinesseesinallform ms.

IBIs therrefore must concentratee on fosteriing the creaation of new

w innovative enterprisess and/or
developiinginnovatiooninexistinggSMEs.

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P

Afterthisgeneraloverview,theIBIneedstogoastepahead,andtakeintoaccountthespecificities
oftheregion,inparticular:
identifyingthoseeconomicsectorswhichholdastrategicpositionasbeingthosewithsound
innovationpotential;
identifying the network with which it will work to accomplish its mission, especially if the
regionisactiveinR&D.

AnIBIwillhardlyaccomplishitsmissionifitdoesntcooperatewiththeotheractorsintheregion
involvedinlocaldevelopmentactions.

Strategic goals are even more closely related to the specificities of the regions in which an IBI
operates because they will be directly linked to the definition of the services and actions it will
undertakeintheareaitserves.TheydefineclearlythedirectionthattheactionsoftheIBIwillfollow,
aswellasthequaliquantitativeobjectivestheyshouldreachinthemidterm

Given the mission statement, which should have already identified the areas of competitive
advantage,settingupstrategicgoalsmeansmainlytohaveavisionofthefutureoftheregioninthe
midtermandtoquantifyrealisticandfeasiblequaliquantitativeobjectives,andthereforebeingable
toidentifytherelevantactionsandservicesthatanIBIshouldputinplace.

2.2 The preconditions

BeforesettingupaninnovationbasedIncubatoritisnecessarytoanalyzetheregionandverifythe
existenceofsomepreconditionswhich,ifabsent,wouldimpedeitssuccess.

Thepotentialforendogenousregionaldevelopmentaninnovationbasedincubatorwillwork
supportinglocalentrepreneurstodevelopsustainablebusinessesinthosesectorswherethereis
acompetitiveadvantageandwhereinnovationisanessentialingredient.

The existence of a specific local and global market demand an innovationbased incubator
should be set up where there is a request, although maybe not yet expressed, of incubation
services.Itmightbenecessarytomakethedemandemergethroughpropercommunicationand
networkingactivitiesbeforetheactualstartupoftheincubator,butapropermarketresearch
must be undertaken in order to understand whether there is a need for such a specific
instrumentorifitisbettertostartwithotherformsofbusinesssupportorganizations.

Arealneedtocovergap(s)intheservicesupplychainaninnovationbasedincubator,asany
publicinterestserviceprovidershouldbesetupwhenrealaddedvaluewillbedeliveredinthe
region. This means that among all the other business service providers there is none which is
tackling innovation, or that, if there is, the services delivered are different, or are directed to
entrepreneurs in different sectors, hence the new incubator will not be duplicating already
existingefforts.

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 P
Potentialfor
eendogenous
regional
development

Existenceo ofa Existencceof

wide highlyy
territoriaal
partnershhip
Innovation
n qualifieed
expertiise

b
based
incu
ubatorss
Necessityto
Exxistenceofa
fillgap(s)in
market
theservice
demand
supplychain

Figurre5:thepreco
onditionsforse
ettingupanIBI

Thee existence of a wide and active territorial partnership

p to be tru uly effective
e a wide
parttnershipamongthelocaalactorsmusstbeputin place,mainlybecauseofitspublic interest
mission, but alsso because the field an nd the scope e of the activities are very broad, therefore
t
makking it difficcult for the IBI alone to be able to offer an hoolistic and coomprehensivve set of
servvices.Thepu ublicsector shouldbein nvolved,sincceitmay prrovidethose resourcesn necessary
for therunning oftheincub bator,foritsssustainabiliityandforeensuringthattthemission n,aswell
as the
t vision, of o the incub bator, is pro
operly placed d in the sho
ort and mid dterm governmental
straategies. The private secttor should be involved firstly
f becausse incubatorrs are there to serve
privvatecompan nies,therefo oretheIBIan nditsserviceescanbebeettertailored diftheprivatesector
isin
nvolved,seco ondlybecausseentrepren neursarethe edoersinthearea,tho osewhomakethings
hap ppenandcan nenjoyagreeaterdegreeeofflexibilityy.

The existence ofo highlyspeecialized loccal expertisee generallyy, supportingg new busin nesses to
starttupandgro owrequiresh highqualified dskills,mainnlybecauseyyouaredeallingwithand dshaping
the life of peop ple. Of courrse some veery specific expertise willw be outso ourced, but the core
services needed d to ensure a smooth incubation process
p need d to be inteernalized. If they are
misssingtheyneeedtobebuilttthroughpropertraininggactivities.

ositioning an IBI
2.3 Po

PositioninganIBIdeependsonmanyfactors,fromthedirrectionsgiveenfromthen nationalanddregional
uthoritiesto
publicau otheexpectaationsoftheelocalstakeh
holders,from
mthespecificitiesofthe needsof
theentrepreneursto othepartnershipsinvolvved.

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P

 T
Theregional
aandnational
policiesfor
innovation

Theepre
Theregional
existing
economic
m(s)for
system
environmentt
Positionin
ng innovation

oftheIBI

Theeneedsand TThekeyactors
typ
pologyofthe andthe
enttrepreneurs partnerships
f
forinnovation

Figu
ure6:factorsin
nfluencingthep
positioningofaanIBI

Thepreexistingsystemsforinn novationaninnovation nbasedincubatorwillno otbeadupliicationof

somethingalreadyeexistingandsshouldnotp provideservicesandimplementactivvitieswhichaarebeing
delivered dandcarriedoutbyoth heractorsalrreadydealingwithinnovvationissuess.Ifaregionaalsystem
for innovation already exists, it is the expreession of the territorys necessities as expresse ed by the
entrepreeneurialcom mmunityand//orasinterp pretedbythe elocalautho orities,thereeforetheIBI needsto
fit into it, and not completely subvert it. Although
A the IBI is not subverting the local in
nnovation
system, itisanyway goingtopro oducesome adjustmentssintoit,and dthiscancreeatebothadvantages
and disaadvantages for the alreeady preexisting actors of the innovation netw work. A staakeholder
analysismaybeneceessaryinord dertodefineetheposition ningoftheIBIsoastom minimizethenegative
impacts..Iftheseoveercomethep positiveresu ultsinanypo ositioningexercise,probaablythereissnoneed
foranIBBIintheregio on,butother,moreapprropriatetoolsmustbeco onceived.

Theparttnershipfor innovation astepforward,aftertthestakeholderanalysiss,istoconsiderwhat

partnersshipsaretheemostconveenientfortheaccomplish hmentoftheeIBIsmissio on.Asalread dystated,
anIBIwillhaveextreemedifficulttiesifitinten
ndstoproceeedalone,sooefficacious agreementssmustbe
put in place
p with th
hose organizzations whicch, sharing the same miission, or paart of it, can
n actively
contribu utetothedevvelopmento oftheIBI.Thesecouldbe e,amongothhers:

ChambersoffCommerceandIndustryy
C
Regional/LoccalDevelopmmentAgenciees
S
Scienceand TechnologyParks/Tech
hnopoles
Municipalitiees/Urbancommunities
National/Go overnmentalagenciesforrSMEandinnovationsup
pport
NGOs
MEassociatio
Industrial/SM ons

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P

Furtherm
more the IB BI could be directly ho
osted within one of thee aforementtioned organizations
(generally Chamberrs of Commerce and Industry, Science an nd Technoloogy Parks, Regional
Development Agenccies, local collectivities
c s or Industrrial and SM ons), as a separate
ME associatio
businesssunitordeepartment.

10.0
00% 12.00% N..A.

8.00% STTPmanagedin
ncubator

Independentlymanaged
incubator

29.00% 41.00% IncubationSTPcore

acctivity
No
oincubationaactivities

Figure7:Incub
batorswithinSScienceandTecchnologyParkss(Source:IASP))

TheregiionalandnaationalpoliciiesforinnovvationasanIBIneedsttofitintheeregionalin
nnovation
withinthenationalandregionalstraategiesforin
system, itneedstofitaswellw nnovation.In
nnovative
incubatioonprocessessshouldbepartoftheccurrent,orfuuture,strateggieswhichp politiciansenvisageto
useinth
heefforttoccreatenewiinnovativeco ompanies,newstablejo obsandenhaancedadded dvaluein
theregioon.Thepolitticalexpresssionoftheteerritorymusstendorseittsactivitiesaandacknowledgethe
IBIasanactorwithin
nthesystem,supportinggitsactivitiessalsothrougghfinancialeefforts.

Publicssupporttotherregionalsystem
msforinnovatio
on

Establishment
offundinng Puushing
opportunitties collaaborative
Devvelopmentof
fortheend clustterbased
Intervveningin Directfin
nancial acctionstobe
Infrastructure usersoftheIBI's sectoorspecific
theregulatory supportttothe im
mplemented
development services(ee.g. platfo
orms(poles
sysstem IBI(subssidies) with/through
grants,seeed of
theIBI
capital, compeetitiveness
guaranteee andin nnovation)
funds)

Figure8:publicsupportttotheregiona
alsystemsforinnovation

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The reggional econo omic environ nment IBIs should cooncentrate on developing the end dogenous
potentiaal of the reggion in orderr to create companies
c with
w higher chances
c of ssuccess. So the
t main
issueisw
whethertheeIBIshould bea generaalpurposeorasectorbaasedincubattor,basingtthelatter
choiceoontheecono omicsectors inwhichcleearlytheregionholdscompetitivead dvantagesan ndwhere
innovativveenterprisescouldbe competitiveinaglobalizzedworld.Furthermore itisfundam mentalfor
theIBIto
obecloseto otheentreprreneurialcom mmunityanddfullyaccesssible.

Thetypo ologyofenttrepreneurs andtheirneeedslast,bbutnotleast,theaimofanIBIisto osupport

the entrrepreneurial community of a regionn. Therefore the intrinsicc characterisstics of the potential
entrepreeneursasweellasoftheeexistingSMEEsneedtobeetakenintocconsideratio onsonottoffallinthe
error off delivering nonneededd services and impleme enting noneefficacious aactions to re each the
missionandwastingtheavailablescarcereso ources.

2.4 Engineering
g the IBI

Taken in
nto considerration the afforemention
ned factors, the proper positioning of the IBI should be
identified,andthereeforethevariousaspectssofitsdevelo
opmentmusstbeengineeered.

TypologyofIBI

Action
nstobe
Legalsstatus
implem
mented

Factors
influencing
the
Servicestobe positioning Physical
delivered location

Target
P
Partnership
beneficiariees
aagreements
andendusers

Figu
ure9:mainissu
uesconcerningthesetupofaanIBI

TypologyoftheIBIthestrateggicelement isthatthein ncubatormu ustoperatew withinthein nnovation

domain.Decidingwh hattypologyyofincubatorishencefu undamentalaaslongastheinnovation nconcept
ominating one.
is the do o As seen
n above inno
ovationbase ed incubatorrs can be shaped in many forms
(academ mic, generalp
purpose, secctorbased, etc.).
e The in
nfluencing faactors shouldd clearly sup
pport the
identificationofthebesttouse.

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LegalstatusanIBIcouldtaketheformofaprivatebody,apublicbody,apublicequivalentbody,
oramixpublicprivateorganization.Itcouldbeincorporatedasanequitybasedcompanyornot,but
is generally operating on a notforprofit mode. The main factors influencing the decision are the
activated partnership and the concrete involvement of the private and the public sectors. Another
concerniswhethertheinnovationbasedincubatorshouldbeplacedwithinanexistingorganization
(inthiscaseitbecomesanewdepartmentorunitofabiggerhostingbody),orifaneworganization
mustbecreated.

Publicbody
14% 12%

Publicequivalent
body
Privatebody
35% 39%
Mixpublic Private

Figure10:thelegalstatuswithintheEBNnetwork(source:EBNqualitysystem)

Physical location the main question to respond to is where is it most convenient to install the
innovativeenterprisedevelopmentunit,whichwillactivatetheincubationprocess.Themainfactors
influencingthedecisionshouldbe:

The regional economic context if regional economic sectors with competitive advantages
are also physically located in a specific area, the incubation services should be placed near
thearea(e.g.anindustrialdistrictoraspecificcluster).Ontheotherextremetheremightbe
the need to establish more than one center in the territory to ensure the appropriate
proximitytotheentrepreneurialcommunity.

Theneedsoftheentrepreneursspecificneedsmaycallforspecificorganizationwithinthe
localenvironment.

The preexisting system for innovation and the local partnership these factors should be
consideredsincethereistheneedtonotduplicatealreadyexistingservicesandtousethe
resourcesthatthepartnershipcanactivateinfavoroftheIBI.

Partnershipagreementstheseshouldbepreparedandsignedwithallthelocalactorswithwhich
theIBIwillinteractinthedeliveryoftheincubationprocess,makingsurethatitisclearwhoisdoing
what, and how this is undertaken. This will vary according to the activated partnership for
innovation.ItmaybethecasethatspecificpartnerscanactasdecentralizedfrontofficesoftheIBI,
orthattheycanspecializeonspecifichighqualityservices(e.g.internationalizationservicescanbe
offered by the chambers of commerce to the entrepreneurs and the client companies of an IBI
throughtheformalacceptanceofaspecialagreement).

Page|17

Target beneficiaries
b s and endussers who is mainly to benefit from the action
ns of an IBI must be
clearlyid
dentified.Th hespecificitieesofthereggionaleconomicandsociialcontextw willhelptocllarifythis
he first distiinction to bee made is among the potential
point. Th p neww entreprenneurs of the territory
and/orttheexistingSSMEsofthe region,sincethisdecisio oncouldheaavilyinfluenccethesetoffservices
tobedeployed.Then nfurtherdistinctioncanbemadeacccordingto:

The economic environ nment (leading sectors of the locaal economyy), and its industrial
i
characteristtics.

Thesocialeenvironmentt(thepresen nceofvulneerablegroupswhomay needspecificactions
tobeincluddedthroughentrepreneurship).Som meincubatorrshaveposittionedthemselvesas
specialistsinwomenin ncubation,arrtistsincubaations,socialinclusionin ncubation,immmigrant
incubationss,etc.

The origin of the wouldbe entrepreneur (e.g. from a univversity or a R&D institu
ution, the
academic world
w more in general, or spontane
eouslydriven n entrepreneurs with in nnovative
ideas and the will too make theem profitable), or even n coming o out of induustries in
reconversioon/restructurration.

Furthermmore,other enduserso oftheactionsofanIBIaareLocal and dregional administrationswhich

need support in ren
ndering conccrete their development
d t strategies by
b pushing iinnovative actions as
wellasttheknowledggebasedsecctor,suchassuniversitiesswhichcan betterchann neltheoppo
ortunities
forstudeentsandreseearchers.

T
Targetben
neficiariessandend
dusersoffanIBI'sactionsandservicces

Neewentrep
preneurs SMEs Pub
blicsectorr

Theoverrallexistingcom
mmunityof
Theoverallactiveepopulation S
SMEs,defineda as:
withanentrepreneeurialspirit,or
thosedefinedby: innovattive(alreadyussing Locaalandregional
innovatioonbutneedinggsupport administrrationswhichneed
the economic conttext forvariouspurposes(i.e e. supportinrenderingconccrete
the social context commerccializationor theirdevelo
opmentstrateggiesby
the origin internationalization) pushinginnovativeactio ons
novative(forthe
noninn
introductionofinnovations)

Figurre11:targetbe
eneficiariesand
dendusersofaanIBI

Servicestobedeliveeredandkeyyqualificatio
onsthedeffinitionofth
heservices,aandtherefore
ethekey
qualificaationsanIBImusthold,d
dependsonttheneedsofftheentreprreneurialcom mmunity,onnthepre
existing innovationssystemandoontheactivaatedpartnerrship.Asalreeadystated theservicesmustbe
expressionoftherealterritorialneedsand needtofitin
ntotheinno ovationsupportsystem. Partners,

Page|18
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ontheo
otherhand, mayhavekn nowledge,competenciesandresourcesthat couldenable theIBIto
t
concentrrateonotheerspecifickeyyqualificatio
onswhichne
eedtobedevvelopedwith
hintheregio
on.

Key qua
alifications
s - Area off expertise
e 2008

R&D / University spiin-off / High

h-tech SME creation & su
upport 62%

Internattional cooperration / SME

E internationalization 58%

Legal ad
dvice to enterprise creatiion / comme
ercial contrac
cts / Intellec
ctual Properrty Rights 53%
(IPR)
ancing / Seed capital and
SME fina d venture capital / Grow
wth financing
g 41%

Figurre12:keyqualificationswithiintheEBNnetw
work(Source:EEBNQualitysysstem)

Actionstobeimplem mentedthesemainlyrrefertoproggramsandprrojectsdesignedand/orm managed

bytheIBBItosupporrttheterrito oryinachievvingthestrattegicgoalsitthasendowweditselfwitth.These
can be implemente
i d for the lo
ocal administtrations and
d generally have
h the foccus of impro
oving the
environmmentinwhicchinnovation nandentreppreneurshipggrowandnu urture.

2.5 A focus on the servic

ces of an IBI

2.5.1 Services in the pre-incubation sttage

Preincubation goes from the definition

d of the innovattive idea to the elaboraation of the Business
Plan. It is typically an
a engineereed process which
w starts from a firstt appointment with the business
developm mentstaffo oftheIBIwheeretheidea isanalyzed andinitially assessed,an ndaveryfirsstfilteris
applied.

training
d
definingthe
onmanagerial b
businessidea completionof
initallyaassessthe issues d
definingthe Innoovation theBPwithhthe
valildityofthe onmore b
businessmodel asseessment financial
idea specializedttopics forecasts
throughinternal
(i.e.IPrightss,
compeetencies BusinesssPlan
legaland Orientation
first administration) throughan
nal
extern
appo ointment comm mittee

Figure13:thepreincuba
ationstage

Subsequ nspace,typiccallyaworksstationwiththemain
uentlytheinccubatorcoulldofferapreeincubation
facilities(printing,in
nternetconn
nectivity,etc.),andshouldofferaseriesofappoointmentsto helpthe

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entrepreeneur in bettter definingg their business idea up to the full elaboration

e of the busin
ness plan
coveringgalltheaspeectsneededttounderstan ndthefullfeasibilityofth heprojectid
dea.

Duringtheprocessaatacertainp point,theIB BIshouldasssessthedegrreeofinnovationofthe business

idea. It is advisable to managee this task th
hrough a co ommittee off external exxperts in thee related
economicsector,altthoughsomeeIBIsprefer tointernalizzethisfunction.Iftheid dearesultsin
nnovative
then furrther supporrt should be provided, iff it doesnt the
t IBI will revert
r the idea to other business
supportorganization nsnotexclussivelydevoteedtoinnovattion.

Theremaybetheneeedtounderrtaketraininggactivities,m
mainlyonmaanagerialtop
pics,sinceth
hewould
beentreepreneursdo
onotalwayshaveabusinnesseducatio onbackground.

2.5.2 Services in the incuba

ation stage

Theincu
ubationstageegoesfrom thestartup pcreation,thhroughtheeexpansionph hase,uptottheinitial
maturityyofthecomp delicatephasseinwhichttheentrepreeneurwillundertaketheactivities
pany.Itisad
needed torealizeth
hebusinessp plan,andtheeservicesdeeliveredbyaanIBIwilldiifferaccordin
ngtothe
phaseinwhichthennewcompanyispositioneedwithinthe etermsidenntifiedbytheebusinessplanitself.

Accesstoffinance Earlystaage
Legaland
administrattivesupport Definitionoftheexit
Physicalin
ncubation strategy
IntellectuaalProperty Fun
ndraising
rights Mentoringandcoacching
Nettworking
Techhnologytransfer Exp
pansion
SStartup
C
Creation

Figure1
14:theincubatiionstage

The starrtup creatio

on phase, reefers to the period when
n the entrep
preneurs is legally and physically
p
creating thenewinn novativecom mpany.Vario ousservices canbedelivveredtotheentrepreneur,these
dependingonthech haracteristicssofthecomp panyandoftheterritoryywhereitwillbeoperating.

IBIsareffrequentlyasskedtoprovvide,amongothers,theffollowingserrvices:

Accessttofinance asitisaverrymuchrequ uestedservice,asitusuallyrepresen ntsacritical factorin

many reegions, the IBI must devvelop adequaate services for the entrepreneurs tto access eaarlystage
funding opportunitiees,forexamplesupportiingtheaccesstoseedcapitalfunds,,favoringth heproper
networkking with buusiness angels, or the acccess to graant schemess which coulld be presennt at the
regionalandnationaallevels.

Legalanndadministrrativesuppo ortitrefersstothesupp
portneeded togothrougghtheadmin nistrative
steps to
o legally form the company. In this sphere, the IBI, but also any non innovatio
onbased

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incubator, as well as any business support organization, could propose the public authorities to
interveneinthegovernancesphere,simplifyingtheprocesseswhichinsomelocationscouldbequite
cumbersome.

Physicalincubationphysicallyhostingthenewcompaniesisusuallyregardedasoneofthemost
importantserviceanIBIcanprovide,althoughitmustbestressedhowthisisnotcoincidingwiththe
overallincubationprocess,butitisratherassociatedtothelevelofaservice,albeitusuallyperceived
ashavingahighaddedvalue.Physicalincubationistheprovisionoffullyequippedofficespacesand
productionspaceswiththeprovisionofotherservices,facilitiesandutilities,whichareprovidedto
the hosted companies who share them, thereby cutting the associated costs (i.e. secretarial costs,
meetingrooms,printingdevices,etc.).

Physical incubation activities

Percentage of BICs offering physical incubation services 82%

Average square meters available for incubation activities 3159,02

Average incubator space occupancy rate

77,67

Average incubation time (years)

3,06

Figure15:somenumbersonphysicalincubationinEurope(source:EBNQualitysystem)

IntellectualPropertyrightsparticularlyfundamentalininnovationbasedincubators,sinceitmainly
applies for the patenting of innovative products and services, the support on IP issues is also
necessary for non innovative companies, if they intend to enter an existing market with products
whichmaybealreadycoveredbypatents.

Technologytransfertogetherwiththeintellectualpropertyrightsservice,technologytransferfalls
in the sphere of the services for innovation, when specific new technologies need enter in the
productiveprocessesofstartupsandofexistingSMEsaswell.

Theearlystagephasestartsoncethecompanyhasbeenestablishedandmakesthefirstattemptsto
enterthemarket,andendswhenthecompanyhasreachedmaturityandisreadytowalkonitsown
feet.

InthisphaseIBIsarefrequentlyaskedtoprovide,amongothers,thefollowingservices:

Access to funding the need for investments might not be satisfied with earlystage funding, and
otheropportunitiesmustbeprovidedtotheentrepreneurs,suchasfacilitatingtheencounterswith
venturecapitalists,throughinvestmentreadinessservicesandmentoring.

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 Supplyoffinancingfromownresources
Contactswithinformalinvestors/BusinessAngels
Entrytoventurecapitalaftertheseedphase
Entrytoseedcapitalproviders
Entrytonormalbankloans

0.00% 25.00% 50.00% 75.00% 100.00%

Figure16:breakdownofaccesstofinanceservicesofferedinEuropebytheBICs(Source:EBNQualitysystem)

Mentoringandcoachingaveryfundamentalservicewhichshouldconstantlybedeliveredbythe
IBI.AbusinessexpertshouldalwaysbepresentintheIBIandavailableforansweringtothematters
daily brought forward by the assisted companies. It might be a good idea to enforce monthly
meetingstoassesstheimprovementsoftheSMEsintheirpathtowardsmaturity.

Networking and clustering the companies can benefit immensely from networking opportunities
that can come from, for example, enacting commercialization services and business to business
meetings,aswellasfromthesupportderivinginfacilitatingtheentrancetothetargetedmarkets.
Providing access to clusters, or even animating/hosting clusters, is becoming a new profession for
IBIs.

Theassistedcompanywillreachtheexpansionphasewhenitisdeemedtobeabletostandonits
own feet and has reached a point where it has gained enough strength to exit the incubation
process.Tosupportthesuccessfulcases,anIBIshouldhaveinplaceexitstrategiessupportservices
toeasetheseparationfromtheIBIandthefullintegrationwithinthemarkets.

FromnowonthecompanycanbenefitfromtheservicesdedicatedbyanIBItotheexistingSMEsof
theregion.

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2.5.3 Services fo
or existing SMEs
S

Itmightbetheroleo
ofanIBI,and
dthissometimescanbepreponderaant,tosuppo
orttheregion
naltissue
ofSMEsthroughservvicesmeanttoincreasewithinthemthedegreeofinnovation.

S
SMEdiagnostic
cs
innovationgapps

innovativestre
engths

S
SMETraining
IPRights

technologytra
ansfer

etc.

S
Specificconsult
tancies
marketing
internationalization
innovativepro
ocesses

etc.

I
IncludingSMEs inspecificprojjects
clustering

internationaliz
zation

enterprisetak
keover

technologytraansfer

Figu
ure17:mainse
ervicesforSMEEsofferedbyan
nIBI

TheservvicesprovideedbyanIBI shouldbefo
ormalizedassmuchaspo ossibleandssupportedbyvarious
toolsthaattheIBIsho
oulddesignaand/oradopttthroughthe
epropertran
nsferofbesttpractices.

T
Toolsthatcans
supporttheIBIindeliveringth
heservicesmorreefficiently

firstcontactssheet
businessplantemplate
templateforrriskanalysis
softwareforbbudgetforecastting
contractstoregulatetheserrvicedelivery(ttoSMEsandentrepreneurs)
templateforaanalyzinginnovvationweaknessses
toolsforassessingtheentrepreneurialcapaacities
databasesofffinancialtools
databasesofprivateconsultantsandotherBSOs(indicatin ngtheirspecializations)
databasesofresarchandtecchnologycentrees

Figure18:toolstoeasetheinccubationproce
ess

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 100.00
0%
90.00
0%
80.00
0%
70.00
0%
60.00
0%
50.00
0%
40.00
0%
30.00
0%
20.00
0%
10.00
0%
0.00
0%
Generalad
dvise Specialist Helpfinding Mentoring Training, Marketingand Maanagement AccestoR&D
advise growonspacee seminarsand sales t
training
workshops

Figure19:se
ervicesmostofftenprovidedin
ntheUKIBIs(SSource:UKBI)

2.6 Organizatio
O on of an In
nnovation--based incubator

When planning
p thee internal orrganization of an innovvationbased d incubator, there are mainly 5
fundameental issues which need d to be takeen into conssideration, which
w are ussually intertw
wined as
everyon
neofthemw willcontributeinshapingalltheotherrs.

Regional
ssynergies

Budget TheBoaardof
Directtors

Orrganization

Human n Premisesand
resourcees infrastruccture

Braandingand
visibility

Figgure20:issuestoconsiderwh
henplanningth
heinternalorgaanizationofan
nIBI

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Regionaal synergies as these will

w have beeen defined during the positioning
exercise of the IBI,
whendeetailingthein
nternalorganizationofaanIBI,theseneedtobettakenintoco onsideration nbecause
probablyy some services to entreepreneurs and SMEs have already been
b engineered and de eveloped.
Thereforre,insteado
ofproviding themdirecttly,theIBIshhoulddevelo opsignpostingservices,,through
which endusers aree directed to the organ
nization whicch is alreadyy providing it. This will have an
influenceeonthehum
manresourcees,thebudget,theprem misesandtheeactionplan.

Board of the board of directorss will nominaate the CEO and is the actual body that will
of directors
decide upon
u the strategic goaals of the IBI.
I The me embers of the
t Board sshould there efore be
represenntatives of the local systtem for inno
ovation, ensu
uring that co
oordination takes place and that
thedirecctorsdecisioonsarecompliantnoton nlywiththe mandateofftheIBI,but alsowithth heoverall
scopesooftheregionalsystemforinnovationaswhole.

Branding g and visibiility the IB

BI must havve a clear visibility in th
he territory. Theoreticallly all the
potentiaalinnovativeentrepreneeursandthe SMEsmust clearlyknow wwheretheeIBIislocatted,what
servicesitprovides,andwhatistherolewithintheregio onalsystemfforinnovatio on.Furthermmorethey
shouldbbeabletofu ullyrecognizeitasaninnovationagentfortheeentrepreneu urialcommunity.This
bedonethroughthedeveelopmentoffthebrandin
shouldb ngoftheIBIaandofapropercommun nicational
andprommotionalcam mpaign.

Premisess these sh
hould be adequate to the identified
d services an
nd to their efficient dellivery. Of
coursethisfactorisnotonlyinfluencedbyth heoverallpoositioningoftheIBI,butalsoonthen natureof
thecatch
hmentareaandofthetaargetbeneficciariesofthe eactionstobbeimplemen ntedandthe eservices
tobedelivered.

Prein
ncubation Postincubation
P Coachingan
nd
Incubationseervices TraininggServices
seervices services mentoringservvices
Roomfo orpre Incubationsp pace Co
onferencerooms Fullyequ
uipped Officespace
incubattion Secretarialsppace/ Reesearchcentres trainingrooms Meetingroom ms
Workstaations reception Labboratories Connectivitiy
Connectivity Meetingroom ms
Officefaacilities Coffeecorner
Conferencerrooms
Laboratories
Officefacilities

Figure21:theneededinffrastructure

Humanrresourcesiinnovationb basedincubaatorsshouldrelyonahigghspecialized
dandqualifiiedteam.
Intermssofdimensio onitneedsttobeappropriatetotheetypologyo nneedstodeliver,to
ofservicesin
theactio
onsandprojjectsitwillim mplementandofcourse etothequalitativeandq quantitative levelsof
targetbeeneficiariesiitwilladdresss.

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fromttheBICQualityMarkCritteria

BusineessandInnovationCentrresaremanaagedprofessionallyandaautonomously,haveade edicated
teamo opriatelyquaalified,experriencedandiinvolvedinthecore
ofatleastthrreefulltimestaffappro
activityyofthebusinnesssupporttase.g.businessadvisorrsofwhichonemustbethemanagger/CEO
w
withoverallrresponsibilityyfortheBIC.
TheEuuropeanBICNetwork

Innovationbasedinccubatorsneedtobeflexxibleenough h,althoughtthereisthe necessity(aaswellas

the useffulness) to in
nternalize th
hose key quaalifications which
w generate the addedvalue in the local
systemfforinnovatio onandthataareatthebaasisoftheco oreactivitiestheIBIwillu
undertakeandofthe
coreservvicesitwilld
deliver.

EExternaltaalent
Managemen
nt Inteernalexperts Otherstaff
pool
Autonoomouswithrespectto
Focusedonthecorre Highqualifiedexpeertsused
oth
herorganizations Secretarialssupport
activities forspecifictasks
(esp
peciallyiftheIBIis
hosttedwithinanother
organization) Addvaluetotheecore
Specifictothe
activitiesthroughrrelevant Administrration
eentrepreneurialneeeds
specializations

Fulltimejob
Full/PartTime(bu
ut
Externalizedcompetencies Comunication
internalized)

Figure22:thehumanrresources

An IBI needs
n a dynaamic leader. Ideally sommeone who has worked in the privaate sector within
w the
region,w whoknowstthereforehow wtheentrep preneurialco
ommunityisembeddediintheoveralllsystem,
hasaneextensivekno owledgeofttheneedsexxpressedby thecommunityandhassavisionon howthe
innovationdomainccansupporttthestrengtheningofthe eSMEsintheeregion.ManagementofanIBIis
me job and it
a fulltim i needs to be a fully au
utonomous position, witth full control over the available
resourcees.

Thechoiiceofwhatffunctionsto internalizeaandthereforrewhatwill bethespecifickeyqualifications

BI,factorwhichaffectsth
oftheIB heselection ofthestaff,dependson nthepositioningoftheIBIwithin
theregio
onalsystemforinnovatio on.Thestafffneedstobeeinternalized
d(preferablyyonafulltim
mebasis)
andwill managetheecoreactivittiesoftheIB
BI,leavingtooexternalexperts,ortoootherorganizations
withinth
heregionalssystemforinnnovation,theservicese egmentswh hichononessidearenot thecore
servicesoftheIBI,an
ndontheotherrequiresspecializedkknowledge.

Finally a
a fully operaating IBI will need secrretarial services which can be sharred with the
e hosted
companies (if any) and an adm ministration staff, being an indepen ndent organization with h its own
budgetaandcostcenter.

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 30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
3 6 7 9 10 14
1 15
5 25 >25

Figgure23:thesizeoftheBICsne
etworkedbyEB
BN(Source:EB
BNQualitysysteem)

BudgetthebudgettnecessaryfforoperatinggandIBImusstbe:

SSufficienttoensurethep
properdeliveryofservicesandactions
S
Secureenou ughtoallowttheIBIssusttainabilityinthemidterm(atleast3
3years)
Independentt,managedtthroughano ownprofitan ndlossaccou
unt

2.7 Cost and in

ncome Mod
del

The sources of incoome of an IBI

I vary according to th he different legal status and naturre of the
organizaation. An IBI organized as
a a public body
b will recceive mainly (if not onlyy) public funds, while
these may
m be stron ngly reducedd if organizeed as a privaate body (w
which will haave differentt income
models according to t the pro ofit or notforprofit statutory models).
m Nootwithstandin ng these
extremeely important differences when asseessing the IB BIs income models on aa case to caase basis,
generallyythesourcesofincomearethosereepresentedin nfigure24.

Publicfundiing Privaatefunding

N
Nationalandreggionalpublicbo odieswhich IncomeefromclientSM
MEsand
fundthecoreacttivitiesoftheIB
BI(subsidies) Entrepreneurs

Fundingcomingfromprograamsand Incomefromhousingand
dincubator
projectsimplem
mentedbytheIBIforthe services
pub
blicauthorities
Otherprivvateincome(e.gg.venture
EuropeanRegiionalDevelopm
mentFund capitalistsin
nterestedinsusstainingthe
(ERDF)/RegionalPolicy e
entrepreneurs) )
Privatesponsorship(e.g.larggecompanies
interestedindelegatingto
otheIBIthe
IncomefromEUprojects detectionofin
nnovationforth
heirprocesses
andproducts)

Figure24:maiinsourcesofin
ncomeofanIBII

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Thebalaancebetweeenpublicand dprivatefun ndingmayvverywellvarryaccording tothenatureofthe

IBI.Mostlyimportan ntistoconceentratetheinitialeffortssinsecuring thatthecorreactivitieso
oftheIBI
perly funded
are prop d, therefore fundraisingg activities need to be concentrated
d more on thhe public
sphereifftheIBIisaapublic,oraapublicequiivalentbodyy,whileprivaatechannelssshouldbep preferred
otherwisse. Of coursse many IBIss have developed a mixx between the two optiions and are e able to
receiveffinancialsupportfrombo othpublicanndprivateso ources.

On the expendituree front, figure 25 reporrts the main

n cost categgories incurrred by an IB
BI in the
deploymmentoftheactivities.

G
Generalcate
egoriesofexpensesofan
nIBI

Payroll
Consultanttsandexternnalexperts
Overheadss
Costsofinccubatorbuild
dings
financialco
osts
Subsidiestoentrepreneurs

Figure25:maincategoriesofe
expensesofanIBI

Othertyypologiesofccostsmayocccur,especiaallyiftheIBIstronglydep pendsonpro ojectmanage ementas

the mosst relevant source
s of inccome. Anywway experience shows th hat an incom
me model de epending
heavily on
o projects is not a susstainable on
ne, renderingg the IBI deependent on n the various project
cycles.Ittisconvenieentandsuggeestedtomakkesurethattheresourceesneededto oimplementtthecore
activitiessarefunded dthroughmorestablech hannels,whileusingpro ojectfundinggtorealizeaactionsin
supportofthecoresservicesandoftheinnovvationanden ntrepreneurialgovernan nceofthereggion.

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3. Networking of an IBI for the benefit of an entrepreneur

Thewordnetworkisdefinedasalargesystemofmanysimilarpartsconnectedtogethertoallow
movementorcommunicationbetweenoralongthepartsorbetweenthepartsandacontrolcentre

In the case of an IBI it is possible to define two main networking domains, the first one being the
region, where the main scope is to assure that the regional system for innovation, backed by the
regionalinnovationstrategies,recognizesthefunctionandthevaluefromtheIBI.Thesecondoneis
theoverregionalnetworking,whereanIBIcanfindgroundstonetworkandbenchmarkwithitsown
kind,otherIBIspresentatnationaland/orinternationallevel,inotherregionsofthecountryorof
theworld.

WhileithasbeenalreadymentionedwhyregionalnetworkingisfundamentalfortheIBIonceithas
been positioned, why should it network at an overregional level? There are many answers, but
experiencehasshownthatthefollowingarethemostfrequent:

Networking enables to benchmark yourself with your peers, catch inspiration, and take
appropriatemeasuresforcontinuousimprovement.

Networking provides chances to meet other practitioners and develop common ideas that
willbenefittheregionalsystemforinnovationandtheendusersoftheIBI.

Networkingprovideschancestopromotetheinnovationsataninternationallevel,whichcan
lead to commercialization and internationalization opportunities for the entrepreneurs
supportedandtheassistedSMEs.

Someinnovativecompaniesarebornglobalandcanaccessinternationalmarketsfromthe
onset. Networking projects like the EurofficeNetwork allow young companies to explore
international markets at very low costs, supporting them to take roots in many European
marketsatatime(e.g.softlanding,businessboosting).

All the aforementioned reasons will better support the IBI in promoting itself and simultaneously
increaseitssustainabilityovertime.

Networkingisessentialatalllevels,internationalandnational,andmanynetworksexist,somebeing
dedicatedsolelytoIBIsformoregeneralpurposes,whileotherstrytorespondtospecificnichesof
theIBIsincubationprocessesandservices.

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 T
TheEurope
eanBusinesssandInno
ovationCentreNetwo
ork
AbboutEBN
EBNisnowthelead dingnongovernm mentalpanEurop peannetworkbriingingtogether2 200+Business&InnovationCentre es(BICs),
andsimilarorganisaationssuchasinccubators,innovattionandentrepre eneurshipcentresacrosstheenlargedEurope.
Thenetworkistherreforeanumbrellaorganisationbringingtogetherover200BICsfro omallaroundEuropeandbeyond d.It
proovideshelpandssupporttotheseBICsbyactingasaninterfacewith hotherorganisattionsincludingtheEuropeanCommission
(whichofficiallyreccognisesEBN),byyprovidingexperttiseinnumerousareasincludingffundingandbysttimulatingthesharingof
bestpractices.
EBNfollowscloselyytheEuropeanUn nionEnlargemen ntandNeighbourhoodPoliciesand disdevelopinghhubandspokene etworking
con nnectionswithth herestoftheworld.

Hisstory
198 841stECBusinessInnovationCen ntre(B.I.C.)open
nedinLige,Belgium
EuropeanBusiness&InnovationCen ntreNetwork(EB BN)officiallyestablishedbytheECCandindustryleaaderssuchasBrittishSteel
(industry),CockerilllSambre,Natwest,IRIGroup,Gn nraledeBelgiqu ue,Fiat,ControlD
DataCorp.,EVCA,,Philips,Barclayssetc.The
firsstchairmanofEBBNwasViscountEEtienneDavignon n,whileRomanoProdi,LordCarrandAlainMincw wereotherinfluen ntial
Boardmembers.
1991FirstB.I.C.souutsidetheEUopeenedintheCzech h&SlovakRepub blics
1999B.I.C.sintegraatedintomainstreeamECStructuraalFunds
200 02TheEuropean nCommissionofficiallygrantedEB BNtheexclusivelicenceoftheECB.I.C.trademark
InccreasedrecognitionofthenetworrkbyECDGEnterprise&DGRese earch&European nSpaceAgency(EESA).Launchofth he
EuropeanSpaceInccubatorsNetworkk(ESINET)asaneexperimentalthe ematicplatformfo orthetransferoffknowledgeand
tecchnologiesinthefieldofspace.
200 04BICsaccelerattecooperationw withthecorporateesector(BT,Proccter&Gamble,GaazdeFrance,HP,,BASF,)
200 07ESAinvitedEB BN,theEuropeannBusiness&Inno ovationCentreNe etwork,tointegraateESINETasastructuralthematic
com mponentoftheEEBNNetworkand dtofurtherprofeessionalizeandde eployitsoperatio
ons.
200 08Over230mem mbersinEBNincluding155BICsand75associatem membersinthe2 27E.U.Membersstatesandin11o other
cou untries(CentralaandEasternEurope,NorthAfricaandtheMiddleEEast,Canada,USA A,China,).
EsttablishmentofseectorialnetworksofBICsinmaritime,agrofood,ccleantechandICTTsectorsaswellasspace.
200 09EBNcelebratees25yearsasareeferencepointinnEuropeoninnovvation,spinoffs,incubation,entreepreneurship,SM MEs,and
reggionaleconomicd development

TheECBICLabel
InJJanuary2002,EB BNwasawardedaatrademarklicen nsingcontractfroomtheEuropeanCommission,witthDGEnterpriseand
Inddustry.ThiscontrractpermitsEBNtomanagethelicenceoftheBICEuropeantradem mark.EBNhastheemandatetograant,renew
andwithdrawtheseelicensesonbeh halfoftheEuropeeanCommission.
EBNimplementsaccertificationandqualitysystemen nablingthedevelopmentofanetworkofexcellencethroughthein ntegration
ofaqualityapproacch.TheBICsthathavebeengranttedtheBICtradem markcommittheemselvestorespeecttheirobligatio onswithin
theequalityprocessofthenetwork.
EBN,throughanen ngineeredqualitysystemassurestthatECBICs,thefullmembersofEBN,respecttheeBICQualityMarkCriteria,
wh hichreferto:
GlobalMission
Organization
ServicestoEn
ntrepreneurs,StartupsandSMEs
Performance
Quality
EBN,throughtheQ QualitySystem:
EnsuresthereespectoftheECBICCriteriaandtthereforequalityservicesthrough houttheentireneetwork
CollectsannuaallydatafromtheeBICsfromwhichitproducesitsannualBICObserrvatory
Elaborates,upponrequest,benchmarkingaction ns
Providesmoreeaccuratepartneeringandnetworrkingactions

Page|30
P

 Exampleso
ofNationalN
NetworksofIBIs

UKBI UKBusinessInccubation ANCESS AsociacinNaccional R

RETIS
htttp://www.ukbi.cco.uk d
deCEEIEspaoles s
http://w
www.retis
http:://www.ances.co
om/ innovvation.fr/

ADT Asso
ociationofGerm
manTechnology NBIA NationalBusiness PBICA Polish
hBusiness
Incub
batorAssociation
n InnovationCentresAssociation
andBussinessandIncuba
ationCentres
http://www.nbia.orgg http://www.so
ooipp.org.pl/
htttp://www.adton
nline.de

BICItalianet ABICs Asso

ociationofPortugguese FinnishScienceParkAssociation
n
BusinessanndInnovationCentres http://ww
ww.tekel.fi/
http:://www.bicitaliaa.net
http:///www.bics.pt/

HungarianAssociationforInnovation Associationo
ofWallonianBICss
http://www.innovacio.hu/en
n_index.html http://www..ceeiwallons.be//

Figgure26:examp
plesofnationalnetworksofIBIs

Page|31
P

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W
4. Th
he impact assess
sment of an IBI

4.1 Some questions and

d their ans
swers

4.1.1 What
W is m
monitoring?
?

Monitoringisthereegularobservvationandrrecordingof activitiestakingplacein nanIBIasw wellasof

ults obtained
the resu d. It is consttituted of an
n intermittennt series of observation
ns in time, useful
u for
understaanding the extent
e to which
w an objjective is meet and/or thhe extent of compliancce with a
standarddordegree ofdeviationfromanexpectednorm m.Tobeuseefultoallexxtenttheobsservation
mustbesystematicaandundertakenthroughawelldefin nedprocess.

4.1.2 What
W is Be
enchmarkin
ng?

Benchmarking is thee process of

o comparingg the qualityy, the perfo
ormance and d the efficie
ency of a
processorm
specificp methodtoan notherthatisswidelyconssideredtobeeastandardorbestpracctice.

4.1.3 Why
W monitor and benchmark?

An IBI will
w often acct as a catalyst for the production and introdu uction of higgh quality in
nnovative
productss, processess and services in a com mmunity. Therefore, it is importantt to assess just j how
der businesss world and how the in
significant its role iss in the wid ncubator meeets the nee eds of its
stakehollders and cliients. This activity is eveen more important if co onsidered th he mission of
o public
interest of an IBI and
a the sign nificant role that it can play in fund
draising activvities, promotion, or
actingassareportinggtooltoitssttakeholdersi.e.localauthorities,sh hareholdersandcivilsocciety.

Whymonittorandbenchmarkyou
urIBI?

Efficiencyandperfo
ormancecheeckup
Reportingtostakehooldersandsshareholders
Promotioontowardstheendusers(entrepreneursand
dSMEsofth
heregion)
Lobbyinggandfundrraising
Networkking

MonitoringandBenchmarkingSSystemsare thereforene eededtoacccuratelymeaasuretowhatextent

an IBI is contributiing to regio
onal develop o clients seerved, jobs created,
pment (e.g. in terms of
improveementinturn noverandgrowthrateoffcompanies,,andsurvivaalrateofcommpanies)aswwellasto
assesswwhetherthep process,themethodologgiesandthetoolsbeingu usedaretheemostappro opriateto
achievetheobjectivees.

Page|33
P

Performance and efficiency checkup some IBIs may have found more efficient ways to provide
services to innovative entrepreneurs and SMEs, and these practices could be transferred to IBIs
whichcouldintheirturnimprovetheirownperformances.IfanIBIdoesntcompareregularlywith
thoseofitsownkind(IBIswithsimilarcharacteristics)itwillbemuchhardertofindwaystoenhance
thedeliveryofservices,makingbestuseoftheavailablescarceresources.

ReportingShareholdersandstakeholderswouldliketohaveanideaoftheirreturnoninvestment
(ROI),andwhetherthiscanbeincrementedinsomeway,andareinterestedinlearningiftheoverall
regional system for innovation is producing results according to the expectations. Being able to
reportconcretefiguresandcomparisonswithotherIBIscouldhighlightspecificstrengths(goodfor
fundraising purposes) and weaknesses (good for developing actions to increase the efficiency
levels).

PromotionthereisnothingbetterthangoodnumberstoconvinceotherentrepreneursandSMEs
toresorttotheservicesofanIBI.

FundraisingattractingmoreresourcestotheIBItoincreaseitspotentialitiescanbebetterdoneif
itdemonstratesthatthereisahighreturnontheinvestment.

Networking benchmarking provides a means to scout best practices and to understand how to
transfer them to your IBI. Definitely an opportunity to start positive networking experiences with
incubatorswhichshareasimilarprofile.

4.2 Indicators

Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measurements, agreed beforehand, that reflect the
critical success factors of an organization. They must be quantifiable and reflect the goals of the
organization.

Process Indicators intend to provide an indication on the degree of efficiency reached in the
achievementoftheoverallperformances.

Specifically, performance indicators are associated to the final objectives of an IBI while process
indicatorsareassociatedtotheactivitiesandservicesactivatedtoreachthefinalgoals.

Since Indicators perse loose much of their meaning if they are not related to the reality in which
theyhavebeencalculated,itisadvisabletousecostbenefitratios,thatwillallowtounderstandthe
quantifiedindicatorsinrelationswiththeresourcesusedtoachievetheresults.

BenchmarkingwithotherIBIsrequires:

1. Theuseofthesameindicators
2. Makingsurethattheseareinterpretedhomogenously
3. Makingsurethatthedatacollectionactivitiesareuptodate

ApracticalmethodofidentifyingtherightindicatorsismakingsurethattheyareSMARTindicators.

Page|34

 SMARTindicators

Specifiic:measu uresascloselyasspossibleetheresu
ultitis
intendeedtomeeasure
Measu urable:quantitatiive,itpro ovidesnooambigu uity
onwha atisbein
ngmeasu ured
Achievvable/Atttainable::itistechhnicallyppossibleto
obtaindataatareason nablecosst
Resultoriented d:reliablle,thereisageneeral
agreemmentoveerinterprretationo oftheressults
Timeb bound:d datacanb becollecctedfrequuentlyen
nough
toinformthep progressa andinflu
uencetheedecisionns

Figure28:SMARTInd
dicators

4.3 Applying indicators to

o the incubation pro
ocess

Monitoring the incu ubator requests the deevelopment of specific tools

t that ccan be more e or less
sophisticcated(fromaregularsprreadsheetto oadhocdevvelopedsoftw waresolution ns)dependin ngonthe
scope of the monittoring proceesses and on n the amount of data that needs to be colleccted and
processeed. It is anyw
way recomm mendable to have clear in mind the indicators tthat the IBI needs to
calculatee and to bu uild the monitoring system accordingly. Figuree 30 reportss some process and
performanceindicattors,aswell ascostben whichcould beadoptedandusedfo
nefitratios,w oranyof
theaforeementionedpurposes.

Page|35
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 Processindicators

Numbero
ofeventsorrganizedtopromoteen ntrepreneurrship
Numbero
ofpeopleseensitizedthrroughtheeevents
Numbero
oftrainingeeventsorgannized
Numbero
ofpeopleatttendingtheetrainingevvents
Numbero
offirstcontaacts
Numbero
ofprojectseelectedafteerfeasibilityystudy
Numbero
ofenterprisseshostedinincubatorrbuildings
Numbero
ofpatentsreequested

Performancceindicatorrs

Numbero ofBusinessPlansproduced
Numbero ofStartupss
Numbero ofJobscreaatedinstarttups/SMEEs
Numbero ofjobscreaatedwithintenantshosstedintheiincubators
Enterprisesurvivalraateafterthreeyearsfrromtheircrreation
Numbero ofPatentsggranted
Numbero ofSMEssup pported
Numbero ofspinoffs(academic//research/in ndustrial)

C
Costbenefi
itratios

CostperJJobcreated d
Publicfin
nancialcontributionperjobcreateed
Averagen numberofsstartupscreatedper1 100KofIBIincome
Averagen numberofjjobscreateddper100KofIBIincom me
Averagen numberofbusinesspllanscreated dper100KoofIBIincom
me
Averagen numberofSMEsassisttedper100 0KofIBIinco
ome
Averagen numberofsstartupspeerFTE(Fulltimeequivvalent)oftheIBI
Averagen numberofJJobscreated dperFTE(Fulltimeeqquivalent)o
oftheIBI
AveragennumberofB BusinessPlaansperFTEE(Fulltimeequivalent))
employee eoftheIBI
AveragennumberofSSMEsassisteedperFTE(Fulltimeeequivalent)
employee eoftheIBI

Figure29::someindicato
orsassociatedttotheincubatio
onprocess

Page|36
P

5. To
o summarize 12
2 tips if you
y are planning
g to set-up an IB
BI

Definee a clear vision

v ,misssion and sttrategic goaals: How willw the inn novation anda
entreppreneurial systems
s be in the midtterm? whatt will be thee contributio
on of the IB
BI?

Make sure the Prrecondition

ns are met better worrk on them first
f if they are not.

Fit thee IBI in the national

n and
d regional strategies
s fo
or innovatio
on.

Securee Public/Private support through a wide and active partnership.

Fit thee IBI in the regional

r sysstem for inn
novation Do
D not duplicate!

Engineeer the servvices on thee real needss of the entrrepreneuriaal community.

Look for
f best praactices paarticipate in
n regional, national an
nd international netwo
orks
(such as EBN).

Don't blindly rep

plicate... Adapt a modeel to the reealities of your
y territory... or build a
new one!
o

Make sure to geet the best expertise it's the life of people you will contributee to
shapee!

Securee proper funding for thhe years to come... beetter an yeaarly allocateed budget th
han
relyingg solely on projects.

Monittor and beenchmark constantly

c y
your performances, in
nform yourr stakehold
ders
aboutt them.

Engagge in properr communiccation efforrts... be traansparent on

o the achievements and
a
perforrmances.

Page|37
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6. Bibliographic references

6.1 Publications

TheEuropeanBusinessandInnovationCentres(BICs),EuropeanCommission,DGRegio
RegionalPolicy,2000
BenchmarkingofBusinessIncubators,EuropeanCommission,DGEnterpriseandIndustry,
February2002
BICObservatory2007,EuropeanBICNetwork,2008
BICObservatory2009,EuropeanBICNetwork,2009
IncubatorsmanualforinnovativeprojectsAguidethroughoutMEDAcountries,Ahmed
Gdoura,LassaadMezghani,PedroAlmeida,MedibitkarProgram,June2009
MeasuringYourBusinessIncubatorsEconomicImpactAToolkit,MeredithErlewine,NBIA,
2007
TheBICQualityMarkCriteria,approvedbytheBICQualityMarkCommitteeandbytheEC
Commission,DGEnterpriseandIndustryonJune2008.
TheBusinessIncubationLandscapeintheUK,UKBIMappingSurvey2008

6.2 Websites

EuropeanCommission,DGRegio:http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm
EuropeanCommission,DGEnterpriseandIndustry:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/index_en.htm
EuropeanBusinessandInnovationCentrenetwork(EBN):http://www.ebn.eu
UKBusinessIncubation(UKBI):http://www.ukbi.co.uk/
InternationalAssociationofScienceParks(IASP):http://www.iasp.ws/
EuropeanBICNetworkQualityWebsite:http://quality.ebn.be
EuropeanSpaceIncubatorsNetwork(ESINET):http://www.esinet.eu/
NationalBusinessIncubationAssociation(NBIA):http://www.nbia.org/
InformationforDevelopmentProgram(InfoDev):http://www.infodev.org

Page|38

European Commission

The Smart Guide to Innovation-Based Incubators (IBI)

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

2010 39 pp. 21 x 29.7 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-14859-0
doi: 10.2776/16668
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