An incubator is a temporary reception and support structure offering premises, assistance, and services tailored to the specific needs of start-up or newly established businesses. There are currently two types of incubators: those for general businesses and those for businesses specialized in a particular sector. Commonly referred to as “hives,” incubators allow emerging businesses to grow more quickly and ultimately stimulate new business creation.
The first incubators emerged in the 1980s, with the example of the “Ateliers du Buëch” association (1977): in the Hautes-Alpes region, this association enabled the establishment of a dozen businesses in a few months. Gradually, the concept spread throughout France: research centers, educational institutions, and local authorities began developing incubators to stimulate business creation in their regions.
Advantages
- Cost. Business incubators offer furnished premises to businesses at very competitive prices compared to market rents;
- Services. Businesses can benefit from internet access, a secretarial system, office equipment, etc. By taking advantage of these multiple services, businesses can then focus on other aspects of their business without worrying about logistics and office automation;
- Support. Business incubators can support hosted businesses through advice, essential information, training, and networking;
- Visibility. Generally, businesses gain visibility more easily by being connected to a business incubator, particularly with the media and public organizations;
- Network. Incubators facilitate networking with other companies and external stakeholders (banks, research laboratories, etc.).
Not to be confused with…
- Incubator: A welcoming program for future business leaders, allowing them to work on their projects through legal support and support.
- Incubator: Incubators are often large groups that support and finance the launch of a business or take stakes in companies to promote their growth.
- Activity cooperative: A structure whose members are “entrepreneur-employee cooperators” because they contribute revenue to the cooperative and receive a salary in return.
- Coworking space: Coworking is a form of work organization based on the sharing of a workspace between several entrepreneurs and the creation of a network of entrepreneurs promoting exchange, experience sharing, openness, etc. Competitiveness cluster: A group of companies, research stakeholders, and training institutions to develop synergies and cooperation around a specific sector of activity. The grouping takes place within a given territory, but sometimes on a different scale.
- Cluster: A concentration of activities grouped around a sector or industry in a specific, more restricted area than a competitiveness cluster.
- Industrial district: A group of a large number of small, independent businesses that specialize in the same product and, when combined, enable large-scale production.
- The work of the Ministry of Ecological Transition
The Ministry of Ecological Transition supports the development of business incubators: it runs a national network of incubators through the Greentech Innovation initiative. Within this network, several incubators, such as Bic Crescendo and Technopôle Environnement Arbois Méditerranée, offer hosting solutions for startups.
Sources:
Economie.gouv: https://bit.ly/3JubwOl
- Geoconfluence: https://bit.ly/3gKALj2
- Larousse: https://bit.ly/3GRrkJ2
- Le coin des entrepreneurs: https://bit.ly/3gN9Nr4
- Wikipedia: https://bit.ly/3oRMlgS
- Wikicrea: https://bit.ly/3Bo6H6h