Critical Success Factors for University Business Incubators in Taiwan: A Resource Orchestration Perspective

This paper explores the inspiring role of university business incubators (UBIs) in creating an environment that fosters collaboration among universities, startups, and governments. UBIs, widely recognized in the innovation literature and practice, particularly in more prosperous economies, are one of the crucial tools to nurture practical entrepreneurship and sustainable new startups, thereby supporting the development of knowledge-based enterprises. The research uses Sirmon et al.’s (2011) resource orchestration model to investigate how firm managers build company resources and utilize the concept of “resource bonds” to establish competitive advantages and capabilities for future market competition while ensuring customer satisfaction and profitability. The study underscores the significant role that UBIs can play in facilitating startups’ success, as evidenced by four UBIs in Taiwan. Once a project is initiated, the incubator’s management acts as an orchestrator, bundling resources and leveraging them to achieve the desired outcomes for UBIs. By providing access to resources and expertise and fostering collaboration between universities, governments, and startups, incubators can help accelerate the focus beyond orchestrating resources for collaborative innovation projects and encompass the evolving role over time. This research enhances our understanding of how various categories of UBIs can stimulate the collaborative process, facilitate the growth of member capabilities and funding mechanisms, and achieve thinking beyond the classroom. These findings have implications for practitioners to engage in and enhance the innovative, collaborative processes and initiatives that bolster the success of startups, inspiring them to contribute to the growth of entrepreneurship.