Title: It gives you wheels: the university-based accelerators in start-up ecosystems

Authors: Fabio Greco; Marco Tregua

Addresses: Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, 26, 80126, Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia, 26, 80126, Naples, Italy

Abstract: Many scholars have investigated the growing phenomenon of start-ups in the last decade from various angles; this paper aims to join the ongoing debate over university-based accelerators (UBAs) by addressing how they contribute to the development and growth of start-ups and to the viability of a start-up ecosystem. The review led to consider actors, geographical contexts, and resources as the three main drivers shaping a start-up ecosystem and the support UBAs offered to start-ups. A preliminary analysis on several start-up ecosystems around the world and two on-field studies led the research to show methodological, theoretical, and practical advances, as UBAs offer a hard-to-replicate combination of suitable conditions for start-up acceleration, due to prestige in the business context, the operationalisation of models and methods, and the setting up of a fertile ground for start-ups.

Keywords: start-up; accelerators; university-based accelerators; UBAs; start-up ecosystems; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2022.121000

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2022 Vol.45 No.2, pp.235 - 257

Received: 04 Jun 2020
Accepted: 02 Jun 2021
Published online: 21 Feb 2022 *

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