Search Results (44)

The selection of start-ups by business incubators (BIs) is one of the main processes of these organizations that aim to promote entrepreneurship and economic development. Through a systematic literature review of the BI selection phase, following the PRISMA guidelines, a new conceptual model is proposed, delineating findings across three dimensions: the incubatee–incubator alignment and BI strategy, the selection criteria considered, and the decision-making methods used. The conceptual model proposed here represents the first conceptual model focused exclusively on the selection of start-ups by BIs, mapping practices in terms of start-up selection that hold important practical implications for BI managers. Considering the growing need to align economic performance with environmental and social objectives, the start-up selection process by BIs also plays a key role in fostering sustainability-oriented ventures. This fact increases the relevance of this selection phase, not only in terms of operational efficiency, but also as a potential lever for sustainable regional development. Findings emphasize the need for future research that integrates all three dimensions simultaneously, explains the selection process at an operational level, and assesses the importance of this phase for BI performance. Full article

This study explores the evolution of academic entrepreneurship, emphasizing the crucial role of universities in fostering innovation and economic development. Through a systematic review guided by the PRISMA methodology, the research identifies six critical dimensions in academic entrepreneurship: university entrepreneurial ecosystems, organizational structures, capacity building, impact evaluation, contextual influences, and sustainability. The review highlights the integration of sustainability principles, digital transformation, and innovative financing models as central themes driving contemporary university entrepreneurship. Additionally, it underscores the necessity for adaptive governance frameworks and interdisciplinary collaborations to address diverse socioeconomic contexts. The findings offer theoretical insights and practical recommendations for policymakers and university administrators, with the aim of enhancing the design and implementation of effective entrepreneurial ecosystems. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and strategies that enable universities to act as catalysts for innovation and sustainable economic growth. Full article

In the sustainable evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the efficiency of early-stage capital allocation directly affects the intergenerational transmission capacity of innovation resources. The financing barriers caused by information asymmetry urgently require institutional solutions. This study, based on tracking data from 19,463 startups in China’s information technology sector (2016–2019), analyzes how government-certified incubators (GCIs) optimize the sustainability of the entrepreneurial ecosystem through signaling mechanisms. The empirical results show that collaboration with a GCI can significantly increase the likelihood of IT startups securing venture capital by approximately 25%. This effect is not only due to the strict screening and resource support provided by GCIs, but also due to their role in amplifying internal signals from startups, such as the experience of founders and intellectual property. Notably, in the IT sector, the impact of GCIs is more significant for startups traditionally disadvantaged, particularly those led by female founders. Our research demonstrates that GCIs drive the sustainable development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem through three signaling mechanisms: (1) institutional certification screening, which optimizes the intergenerational allocation efficiency of ecosystem resources; (2) the signaling validation–amplification mechanism, which enhances the value of intellectual property and founder experience, alleviating investors’ challenges in quantifying startup potential; (3) inclusive signal rebalancing, where GCI certification significantly improves the funding success rate of female founders, breaking traditional market biases in screening disadvantaged groups and supporting the inclusive and sustainable development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. These findings provide a new pathway for emerging economies to optimize the resilience of their entrepreneurial ecosystems through policy tools: for governments, GCIs achieve sustainable development goals at low institutional cost; for investors, the signal integration mechanism reduces investment information friction; and for entrepreneurs, certification endorsements accelerate market validation of sustainable business models. Full article

The rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 technologies presents unprecedented opportunities to align start-up incubators with smart cities’ sustainability goals, fostering innovation and addressing complex urban challenges. This study introduces the Smart City-Incubator Sustainability Framework (SCISF)—a structured conceptual model that integrates sustainable business model innovation, digital transformation, and circular economy principles into incubator practices. Through an integrative literature review, conceptual framework development, and empirical application, the research identifies six key components essential for aligning incubators with smart city objectives: strategic vision alignment, technological integration, circular economy practices, public engagement, scalability, and impact monitoring. The framework’s empirical application to the Gdańsk Entrepreneurship Foundation (GEF) incubator demonstrates its effectiveness in assessing incubator contributions to urban sustainability. The findings highlight strengths in public engagement and strategic vision, alongside opportunities to enhance Industry 5.0 integration, cross-sector partnerships, and ESG-driven impact reporting. By bridging the gap between city objectives and start-up ecosystems, the SCISF provides actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and incubator managers to foster smart, circular, and resilient urban environments. Full article

Business incubators contribute to the growth of a country, and it is of great interest to deepen knowledge of the impact of incubation phases on the results of incubators to evaluate the effectiveness of developed incubation programs. The objective of this research was to propose a model that quantitatively related different incubation phases to the graduation rate of business incubators in Spain. A sample of 88 incubators was obtained. The survey included 42 items identified in different phases (spreading entrepreneurship, 9 items; pre-incubation, 9 items; basic incubation, 9 items; advanced incubation, 6 items; and graduation, 9 items) and four hypotheses relating to the existence of a positive influence from the startup incubation phases on the incubators results. These were validated by using a structural equation model (SEM) with five latent variables. Three of the four proposed hypotheses that linked startup pre-incubation (H2), basic incubation (H3), and advanced incubation (H4) with graduation rates in Spanish incubators were accepted. These startup incubation stages showed a positive influence on the startup graduation rate. The advanced incubation stage had a very strong relationship with the graduation rate (β = 0.543). Furthermore, a strong indirect effect between business incubation and the graduation rate, explaining 71% of the success of the incubators, was found. Proposals for improvement in each incubation phase to enhance the results of the business incubators are provided. Furthermore, future challenges that should be incorporated into the development of incubator programs, such as the social focus, the implementation of a training and monitoring model, an increase in network businesses, the internationalization of incubators with a globalized approach, the sustainability of the startup’s approach, and the transfer focus, are raised. Given the high variability of Spanish incubators and the wide sampling range, the model could be extended to other contexts with similar behavior within the sample range. Full article

This study explores the factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among students in northwestern Croatia, with a focus on educational background, family entrepreneurial environment, studying experiences, and perceived self-efficacy. Empirical research was conducted between March and June 2024 on a sample of 160 students from northwestern Croatia, and a multiple regression analysis was performed to identify key predictors of entrepreneurial intentions. The results revealed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy significantly impacted students’ intentions to start and run successful businesses, aligning with prior research on entrepreneurial behavior. However, other factors, such as family background and entrepreneurial education, showed no significant influence in this specific regional context. The findings suggest that educational programs should emphasize developing entrepreneurial self-efficacy to foster future entrepreneurs. This study highlights the importance of integrating entrepreneurial activities, such as business plan competitions and start-up incubators, into the curriculum. Limitations related to sample size and cross-sectional design are acknowledged, and future research is encouraged to explore additional factors and larger samples. This research provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance students’ entrepreneurial capacities and support regional economic development. Full article

This study examines the characteristics of green startups and the progression of their resource utilization patterns during the pandemic emergency, focusing on case studies from the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) of the Kanpur Indian Institute of Technology (IITK). This study explores how these startups overcame lockdown challenges and identified the resources they utilized throughout various development stages. The findings reveal that the green startups in the sample share characteristics of visionary and inventive startups, often lacking formal business education but possessing strong technical skills and social engagement. They rely heavily on human and social resources in the early stages, leveraging their networks and stakeholder support to define and develop their green innovations. The research also highlights the importance of open innovation strategies, particularly in the product development stage, where startups leverage research labs and expertise within the IITK ecosystem. This study increases the literature on green startups and offers practical recommendations for young green entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of operating in familiar industries, building stakeholder networks, and utilizing open innovation strategies for successful green innovation development. Full article

The aim of this work was to classify the business incubators in Spain according to the four phases of the startup’s incubation process. Considering that the graduation rate implies greater survival and business success of the incubated companies, they have been identified at each stage of the incubation (spread of entrepreneurship, pre-incubation, advanced incubation, and graduation). The activities that present higher impacts on the success of the incubated companies and the activities carried out by the business incubator that have a greater relevance on the graduation of the companies have concretely been considered. Principal component (PC) cluster analysis has been applied. All the incubation variables were used simultaneously, reducing their number and grouping them into factors. Finally, the cases were grouped according to these latent variables. Principal component analysis reduced dimensionality to eight factors with a 74% explained variance. Factor 1 was positively related to pre-incubation variables; factor 2 was linked to training and collaboration variables within the entrepreneurship diffusion phase. Factor 3, named activity monitoring and control, was related to phase 3, or basic incubation variables. Cluster analysis facilitates the grouping of business incubators into three clusters: Group 1 (16% of the total), incubators with strong deficits in incubation phases 1, 2, and 3. They are small-sized business incubators, often located in rural areas or cities, with a low graduation rate. Group 2 (30%), business incubators with a very high graduation rate and strongly positive values in factors 1 and 2. Factor 3, although positive, is susceptible to improvement. They are the largest group of business incubators and usually located in industrial and technological parks. Group 3 (54%) is the majority, with values close to clusters 2 and 3. Full article

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC loading, liquid trickling patterns, and pH were studied. Positive effects of both packing incubation and enzyme addition on biotrickling filtration performance were identified. BFF A exhibited a shorter start-up period (approximately 20 days) and lower pressure drop (75 ± 6 mm H₂O) than BTF B (30 days; 86 ± 5 mm H₂O), indicating the superior effects of packing incubation over inoculum circulation during the biotrickling filter start-up. The novel approach of using white rot fungi extracts resulted in fast system recovery and enhanced process performance after the BTF acidification episode. Average BTEX elimination capacities of 28.8 ± 0.4 g/(m³ h) and 23.1 ± 0.4 g/(m³ h) were reached for BTF A and BTF B, respectively. This study presents new strategies for controlling and improving the abatement of BTEX in biotrickling filters. Full article

The rapid evolution of technology has reshaped the global economy, intensified competition, and prompted industry players to embrace innovation to maintain sustained competitiveness. In Indonesia, business incubators, overseen by universities and provincial/city governments, are pivotal. However, understanding the determinants of business incubator performance remains limited. This study investigates 24 statement items aiming to uncover the factors influencing technology business incubators in Indonesia, focusing on knowledge management as a mediating variable from a knowledge-based perspective. Employing a quantitative approach, structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized to scrutinize these factors’ impact on business incubator performance. The findings reveal that knowledge management serves as a full and partial mediator among funding support, government assistance, incubator governance, and business incubator technology performance. This research offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and stakeholders by emphasizing the significance of funding, governmental backing, incubator governance, and knowledge management in enhancing incubator business technology performance in Indonesia. Full article

The study of two-stage partial nitrification–anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PN/A) reactors, which are advantageous in engineering applications, still lacks research on process kinetics. Therefore, in this study, the start-up performance and process kinetics of a two-stage PN/A reactor were evaluated by controlling the reaction conditions, for which the two reactors were inoculated with sludge, incubated separately, and then operated in tandem. Increasing the ammonia load of the reactor during the 60 d stabilization period resulted in a nitrogen accumulation rate of 96.93% and a [NO₂⁻ − N]_Eff/[NH₄⁺ − N]_Eff ratio of 1.33, which is close to the theoretical value of 1.32. Successful initiation of the A reactor was achieved after 55 d of operation by inoculating with anammox-activated sludge and granular activated carbon, and the PN and A reactors then successfully operated in combination for 20 d, with an average NH₄⁺ − N efficiency of 99.04% and the NH₄⁺ − N load of the A reactor showing an “S-shaped” curve. An analysis of the microbial growth kinetic models indicated that the removal of NH₄⁺ − N could be successfully described by the logistic, modified logistic, modified Gompertz, and modified Boltzmann models. A strong association between the model and the dependent variable was observed. The process kinetic analysis showed that the removal of NH₄⁺ − N from reactor A could be simulated under steady-state conditions, using the Grau second-order model. The parameters obtained from the model analysis are expected to help predict the denitrification performance of the reactor, facilitate operational management and control, and thus provide a promising research basis for the introduction of automated control systems. Full article

Considering the SECI model, which emphasizes a modern conception of knowledge management, the main objective of this study is to understand how the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization (SECI) dimensions can influence innovative behavior within organizations. The quantitative method was adopted, carrying out a descriptive-correlational study in which 247 individuals participated. For data collection, a questionnaire was used. Their analysis was performed using SPSS software. The results show that of the four dimensions of the SECI model, only three have a positive influence on innovative behavior: externalization, combination, and internalization. This study highlights the importance that the SECI model has in understanding knowledge generated by companies/organizations, in particular, startups. It is possible to state that this model is extremely important to understand innovative behavior in startups, but also issues related to entrepreneurship, thus rendering this study into a guiding reference for companies. Full article

Soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are bioelectrical devices powered by the oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds due to microbial activity. Seven soils were randomly selected from Bergen Community College or areas nearby, located in the state of New Jersey, USA, were used to screen for the presence of electrogenic bacteria. SMFCs were incubated at 35–37 °C. Electricity generation and electrogenic bacteria were determined using an application developed for cellular phones. Of the seven samples, five generated electricity and enriched electrogenic bacteria. Average electrical output for the seven SMFCs was 155 microwatts with the start-up time ranging from 1 to 11 days. The highest output and electrogenic bacterial numbers were found with SMFC-B1 with 143 microwatts and 2.99 × 10⁹ electrogenic bacteria after 15 days. Optimal electrical output and electrogenic bacterial numbers ranged from 1 to 21 days. Microbial DNA was extracted from the top and bottom of the anode of SMFC-B1 using the ZR Soil Microbe DNA MiniPrep Protocol followed by PCR amplification of 16S rRNA V3-V4 region. Next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes generated an average of 58 k sequences. BLAST analysis of the anode bacterial community in SMFC-B1 demonstrated that the predominant bacterial phylum was Bacillota of the class Clostridia (50%). However, bacteria belonging to the phylum Pseudomonadota (15%) such as Magnetospirillum sp. and Methylocaldum gracile were also part of the predominant electrogenic bacterial community in the anode. Unidentified uncultured bacteria accounted for 35% of the predominant bacterial community. Bioelectrical devices such as MFCs provide sustainable and clean alternatives to future applications for electricity generation, waste treatment, and biosensors. Full article

The construction of business incubator platforms to assist young people who return to their hometowns to launch their own enterprises is urgently needed because youth entrepreneurship is seen as a crucial component of rural revitalization. Based on this, the authors of this study distributed surveys to 468 returning youths in rural startup spaces to gather data, built a structural model, and conducted interviews with 13 entrepreneurial youths to examine the relationship between government policies, services, and the design of rural startup spaces, as well as the self-efficacy of returning entrepreneurial youths and the innovation performance of businesses. The results demonstrate how important government policies are in encouraging youth entrepreneurship in their local communities. It has the potential to enhance both the development of rural crowdsourcing spaces and the self-efficacy of young entrepreneurs, thereby enhancing the innovative capabilities of local entrepreneurial businesses. Therefore, in order to encourage economic development in rural areas, the government should improve pertinent support measures, enhance the development of business incubation platforms, and encourage young people moving back to their hometowns to start their own businesses. Full article

The mineralization of nitrogen in apple orchard soil will increase the soil supply. An incubation study to test the soil potential and the validity of analytical methods was conducted at 3, 8, 15, and 20 °C for up to 128 days on soils from western and south-eastern Norway. Soils with the highest pH showed the highest mineralization. The mineralization increased with increasing temperature and time, but start-up N reduced mineralization. The mineralization cannot be estimated from standard soil chemical parameters because the different C/N ratio indicates organic material of different origin and quality. The increase in NO₃-N started very quickly and ranged from 17 to 182% and 12 to 64% after 8 days at 3 °C and 20 °C, respectively. There was no correlation between total N in the soil and the amount of mineralized N. On average, the mineralization increased by 5–7% for a change of 1 °C in the interval from 8 to 15 °C in the soil. The chemical extraction method using heated KCl correlated well with the mineralization data. On average, the chemical method estimated 30 kg N ha⁻¹, which corresponded to 0.48% of total N. Recommendations for N fertilization based on total N in the soil overestimate the contribution of plant-available N in most cases. Full article