Lacunes et apports des accélérateurs et des incubateurs universitaires aux écosystèmes entrepreneuriaux

Abstract

Universities provide great connectivity and legitimacy for resident start-up businesses. Yet, the graduation rate for resident statup businesses remains lower than that of other incubators. There are four value-added elements: networking, mentoring, connectivity, and branding.  We suggest that there is a need for university incubators to develop a structural connectivity model. After examining four Canadian incubators, we propose a structural connectivity model in which incubators have developed business models where funding stakeholders are involved in other critical components of the incubation process. In other cases, incubators rely on management experience to embody this connection between components.  The highest-ranking incubators demonstrate both structural and agentic connectivity, suggesting that agentic connectivity is necessary for the development of structural connectivity. Furthermore, structural connectivity is characterized by the development of an agentic and self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem.