The role of university based incubators in emerging economies

Business incubators playa key role in providing assistance to nascent entrepreneurs, particularly in the initial stages of their firm's life-cycle. They provide a range of services from hardware such as shared offices, access to research labs to software such access to knowledge and network pools to start up companies. Such support gives the start-up companies a relatively secure environment and a head start over others. University business incubators provide a unique opportunity to nascent entrepreneurs to benefit from the talent and resources located in the university, particularly in development of products that require higher level of technology and sophistication. This paper reviews the extent literature to examine the critical role of university based incubators in emerging economies in creating value. Our findings suggest that the UBls are able to provide valuable service to emerging economies by leveraging talent from within the university and creating value. They also provide new opportunities for local customisation of products, new employments, creating entrepreneurial talent and leadership that are required for emerging economies. The findings have implications for decision makers in universities, industry and government