Do Startups Benefit from Incubation? An Analysis of Startups’ Absorptive Capacity

Constantin Schmutzler and André Presse ()
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Constantin Schmutzler: SRH Hochschule Berlin
André Presse: SRH Hochschule Berlin

A chapter in New Perspectives in Technology Transfer, 2021, pp 31-49 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The German startup ecosystem and the number of support programs continue to grow. Differences in innovative power and adaptability between incubated and non-incubated startups have been found, but so far no comparison has focused on the impact of incubation on their absorptive capacity (ACAP). This study uses the multidimensional approach of Flatten, Engelen, Zahra, and Brettel (EMJ 29: 98–116, 2011), to analyze and compare the ACAP of incubated and non-incubated startups. By means of a quantitative analysis, data has been collected through an online questionnaire from a sample of 66 German startups (36 incubated, 30 non-incubated) and their (co-)founders or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). The results indicate that incubated startups have a significantly higher ACAP than non-incubated startups. This study provides an insight into how ACAP in general as well as its components differ between incubated and non-incubated startups. Based on the results, we conclude that support programs have a positive impact on startups.

Keywords: Absorptive capacity; Incubation; Startups; Entrepreneurship; Ecosystems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:fgfchp:978-3-030-61477-5_3

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-61477-5_3

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