Incubation trends and policies
Incubation in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

OECD (2026). Incubation in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Hatching Growth. OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurship. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/21be9d03-en

Business incubators are vital players within entrepreneurial ecosystems. They specialise in identifying the most promising start-up and scale-up companies and aiding their development through holistic support packages and making connections to the wider ecosystem. Substantial public and private investments have driven major growth in the incubator population in recent decades, accompanied by other trends including increased specialisation, more virtual delivery models, and more internationalisation support.

Government support has been key to this growth in incubation and policy retains an important role. However, policymakers face questions surrounding which incubation activities to promote, which organisations to fund, whether and where to specialise, and how to incentivise good practices in support delivery. This publication is a guide for policymakers for navigating these decisions.

You can download the OECD’s study Incubation in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. Hatching Growth here free of charge.

Systematic impact monitoring is crucial to better assess and further develop the effects of public funding measures. — Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter, Borderstep Institute

More on the topic Business Incubation

The authors

Expert written contributions were made by Martin Bliemel, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; Alasdair Reid, European Future Innovation Centre, Belgium; Professor Wadid Lamine, University of Ottawa, Canada; Professor Nadine Levratto, University of Paris Nanterre, France; Professor Philippe Mustar, Mines Paris – PSL, France; Professor Klaus Fichter, Borderstep Institute, Germany; Professor Peter Lindelöf, University of Southeastern Norway, Norway, Professor Manuel Laranja, University of Lisbon, Portugal; Professor Björn Asheim, Lund University, Sweden; Professor Magnus Klofsten, Linköping University, Sweden; Professor Bart Clarysse, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Professor Helen Lawton Smith, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom; Professor Kevin Mole, University of Warwick, United Kingdom; and Professor Sarfraz Mian, State University of New York at Oswego, United States.

Publisher

OECD

How to cite

OECD (2026). Incubation in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Hatching Growth. OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurship. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/21be9d03-en

Borderstep's expertise in Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Borderstep was involved in the study in several ways. The institute contributed to the publication as one of the international experts. Furthermore, the study includes a case study on the German Accelerator, on which Borderstep collaborated.

The Borderstep Institute is regarded as a pioneer in research into sustainable entrepreneurship in Germany. For many years, it has been investigating how start-ups translate environmental and social challenges into viable business models.

The focus is on questions regarding the success factors of green start-ups, their financing and their impact on the economy and society, as well as the sustainable orientation of start-up support and start-up ecosystems. On our knowledge-sharing platform StartGreen and in the Green Start-up Report, we collate data, trends and recommendations from our projects and share them with the green start-up community. The report thus serves as a reliable basis for monitoring for policymakers, funding bodies, investors and intermediaries.

You can find the ongoing projects in the Sustainable Entrepreneurship research area here.

Topics

Entrepreneurship • Interpreneurship Green Economy Sustainable Entrepreneurship Green Start-ups Green Startup Report Start-up-ecosystem • Impact • Impact Assessment • Impact Forecasting • Climate Mitigation Potential • Start-up Support and Funding

  • Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter
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