New technology-based firms are often considered to be the key source of innovation and job creation. As such they are subject to different supportive policies. This study examines the effect of business incubators on the performance of innovative start-ups in terms of sales revenues and job creation. It incorporates a large sample of N=1704 Italian innovative start-ups, out of which 456 were incubated. Using Tobit and Poisson regressions and propensity-score matching methods we found a significant negative effect of incubator tenancy on sales revenues and no significant effect of incubation on employment. There is some indication that incubated start-ups accelerate their growth after the third year since foundation. Most Italian innovative start-ups remain small and do not fulfil expectations from high-growth entrepreneurship policies. We conclude that entrepreneurship policies should accept a larger group of innovative start-ups for initial support, while demanding performance milestones as a condition for more substantial support.

Do Business Incubators Really Help? Evidence From A Large Sample Of Italian Innovative Start-Ups

LONGO, MARIA CRISTINA
2016-01-01

Abstract

New technology-based firms are often considered to be the key source of innovation and job creation. As such they are subject to different supportive policies. This study examines the effect of business incubators on the performance of innovative start-ups in terms of sales revenues and job creation. It incorporates a large sample of N=1704 Italian innovative start-ups, out of which 456 were incubated. Using Tobit and Poisson regressions and propensity-score matching methods we found a significant negative effect of incubator tenancy on sales revenues and no significant effect of incubation on employment. There is some indication that incubated start-ups accelerate their growth after the third year since foundation. Most Italian innovative start-ups remain small and do not fulfil expectations from high-growth entrepreneurship policies. We conclude that entrepreneurship policies should accept a larger group of innovative start-ups for initial support, while demanding performance milestones as a condition for more substantial support.
2016
00-24667498
Business incubator; Start-up; Performance
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/58893
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