Analysis of the socio-economic impact of Business Incubators and Accelerators in Germany and in Europe

Entrepreneurship as a source of economic and social development, together with the various business support entities, has been the focus of several studies in recent years. Among the most recently studied subjects, there is the phenomenon of Incubators, which seem to play a key role in the development of successful business ideas. Germany, one of the main European economies that in recent years, together with the UK has made the largest investments in start-ups, is one of the most interesting countries in terms of Incubator activity, just after Asia and the United States. The aim of this study is to analyse the spread of the Incubator phenomenon in Germany and its consequent socio-economic impact. This study is part of a series of similar analyses in several European countries (France, Italy, Spain and the UK), which, combined together, will provide a detailed overview of the European incubation landscape. The analysis has been conducted in collaboration with the Social Innovation Monitor (SIM), a team of researchers and professors from different universities, and the German start-up association "Bundesverband Deutsche Startups". Several are the objectives of this analysis. First of all, to provide an updated view of the German situation through a mapping of the Incubators on the national territory, then to highlight differences and similarities between German Incubators, deepening their several business models and their portfolio of services provided, verifying the actual effectiveness of the type of Incubator offer to start-ups. Subsequently, the focus is on Social Incubators, highlighting their characteristics and the challenges they aim to face. Finally, it intends to provide an overview of the incubation phenomenon in Europe.