TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of Technological Business Incubators in supporting business innovation in China

T2 - a case of regional adaptability?

AU - Xiao, Li

AU - North, David

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Entrepreneurship and Regional Development on 14/08/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/08985626.2017.1364789

PY - 2018/1

Y1 - 2018/1

N2 - This paper examines the extent to which both the support services of technological businessincubators (TBIs) and exogenous local factors facilitate the innovation activity of incubated new ventures. Using data on all 215 surviving Chinese incubators and their incubated firms from government surveys conducted over five consecutive years from 2009 until 2013, combined with information from nine case studies, we examine the effects of four incubator services on three levels of innovation in incubated firms, whilst also taking account of key exogenous factors. Technical service support from an incubator was found to have had a positive influence on all levels of innovation activity across all regions whilst incubator financial support had a positive effect on the making of more advanced innovations. The availability of venture capital had a significant impact on making lower order innovations whereas the availability of scientific knowledge resources influenced more advanced innovation activity. Whereas TBI support services in the more developed Eastern region are mainly concerned with leveraging external resources, those in the less developed Central and Western regions are more concerned with compensating for the lack of external resources to support innovation.

AB - This paper examines the extent to which both the support services of technological businessincubators (TBIs) and exogenous local factors facilitate the innovation activity of incubated new ventures. Using data on all 215 surviving Chinese incubators and their incubated firms from government surveys conducted over five consecutive years from 2009 until 2013, combined with information from nine case studies, we examine the effects of four incubator services on three levels of innovation in incubated firms, whilst also taking account of key exogenous factors. Technical service support from an incubator was found to have had a positive influence on all levels of innovation activity across all regions whilst incubator financial support had a positive effect on the making of more advanced innovations. The availability of venture capital had a significant impact on making lower order innovations whereas the availability of scientific knowledge resources influenced more advanced innovation activity. Whereas TBI support services in the more developed Eastern region are mainly concerned with leveraging external resources, those in the less developed Central and Western regions are more concerned with compensating for the lack of external resources to support innovation.

KW - Incubator support

KW - venture capital

KW - scientific resources

KW - new ventures

KW - innovations

U2 - 10.1080/08985626.2017.1364789

DO - 10.1080/08985626.2017.1364789

M3 - Journal article

VL - 30

SP - 29

EP - 57

JO - Entrepreneurship and Regional Development

JF - Entrepreneurship and Regional Development

SN - 0898-5626

IS - 1-2

ER -