Recent evolutions in incubation and acceleration practices for start-up and scale-up promotion

What's the issue?

Business incubators and accelerators have a pivotal role at the heart of the start-up ecosystem, offering a diverse range of services and facilities in order to stimulate the creation and growth of promising new ventures. In line with technological advancements, changing policies, markets and business environments, and the shifting needs and demands of start-ups, incubators and accelerators have been evolving rapidly in recent years. For example, they are digitalising services, increasing out-of-walls support, offering new services such as soft-landing programmes in overseas markets, creating partnerships with other ecosystem actors, and specialising more on specific sectors and groups.

These developments pose a number of questions: How are incubators and accelerators’ evolving practices impacting the performance of start-ups and scale-ups? What are some of the inspiring new approaches that have had success in promoting new companies? To what extent are government policies advancing (or hindering) the evolution of incubation and acceleration practices? Examining these questions can unlock valuable insights for both policymakers and incubation and acceleration practitioners on how to strengthen support for high-potential start-ups.

Why attend the webinar?

Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving start-up environment and corresponding changes in the practices of incubators and accelerators, this event will bring together leading experts and practitioners to take stock of recent developments and trade notes on the most effective approaches, emerging challenges, and the implications for policy.

The issues that will be covered include:

• What are the major changes and innovations in incubators and accelerators’ approaches to supporting high-potential start-ups?
• What are the major challenges that incubators and accelerators face in providing support to start-ups and scale-ups, and how have these changed in recent years?
• Are government policies to support incubators and accelerators fit for purpose or are changes needed to keep pace with changing practices?

Agenda

2.00-2.10        Introduction to the webinar 

Introductory remarks by the event moderators

2.10-2.25        Evolving practices in incubation and acceleration 

Presentation on the key changes that have taken place in recent years in incubators and accelerators’ approaches to stimulating the creation and growth of high-potential start-ups. Topics covered include:

• The spread of dedicated incubators and accelerators for specific sectors and target groups.
• The increasingly international outlook of incubators and accelerators.
• Changes in the profile of businesses being targeted and the selection methods adopted by incubators and accelerators.
• Evolutions in the service offering and delivery methods of incubation and acceleration supports.
• Evidence (or lack thereof) on the impacts of these evolving practices on start-up and scale-up performance.

Christopher Haley, Head of Research at Startup Genome, Senior Entrepreneurship Strategy Specialist at the World Bank Group, and Policy Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge

2.25-2.40        The view from the lab: insights from academic research on incubation and acceleration
        
Presentation on the key debates, evidence and findings arising from the academic literature on the promotion of start-ups and scale-ups through incubation and acceleration.

Professor Sarfraz Mian, State University of New York at Oswego, USA

2.40-3.10        The view from the ground: panel discussion with incubators and accelerators
        
Panel moderator: Matt Smith, Director for Policy & Research, Global Entrepreneurship Network

This discussion will involve representatives from a range of incubators and accelerators or their network organisations, who will share “front line” perspectives on their experiences in supporting high-potential start-ups and the recent evolutions in incubation and acceleration practices and the corresponding impacts on start-up and scale-up performance. Panellists will address the following questions:

• How have the needs and demands of start-ups changed in recent years?
• How have incubators/accelerators evolved their practices and support offerings to adapt to the changing needs of start-ups? To what extent are current approaches working?
• What are the challenges faced by incubators/accelerators in supporting start-ups? How have these changed in recent years, and what are the major emerging challenges for the future?
• How are government policies helping (or hindering) the work of incubators and accelerators in supporting high-potential start-ups? What policy changes are needed?

Ali Amin, CEO and Co-Founder of UBI Global

Paulo Santos, Executive Director, IPN Incubator, Coimbra, Portugal

Morgan Lorimer, Senior Manager, Ecosystem, Cohort Programs at MaRS Discovery District

3.10-3.50        Open discussion
        
Selected questions from the audience will be put to panellists and presenters for discussion.

3.50-4.00        Policy lessons and implications
        
The OECD Secretariat will conclude the event by reflecting on the policy implications of the points raised during the presentations, panel discussion and group exercise and how these align with the findings of the OECD’s ongoing work in the field of incubation and acceleration.
        
Dr. Jonathan Potter, Head of the Entrepreneurship Policy and Analysis Unit, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD