The role of technological incubators in fostering entrepreneurial growth: the case of Egyptian universities and research centres

Incubators enable firms to grow technologically by providing them access to leading technologies and technical support. This paper undertakes an analysis of the way technological incubators can be utilized to enhance how Egyptian universities and research centres competitively drive entrepreneurship projects. The paper delves deeper into dimensions of cost reduction, improved quality, speed and flexibility in performance, creativity, and innovation. Using primary data on assembled information from a survey of entrepreneurs being trained under the INTILAC program and secondary information from business and academic publications, the paper tests how resources, strategies, operating techniques, and incubator management methods influence the capabilities of entrepreneurial ventures. The research results have proven that there is a strong positive statistically significant relation at the level of (0.01) between the dimension (objectives of the incubator and its administration) and the competitive advantage dimensions from entrepreneurship projects in the technological incubators of the Academy of Scientific Research. The research then proceeded with an overview of the SWOT analysis of the internal and external factors that affect business incubator performance. The study, therefore, seeks to establish a way by which technology-based incubators can develop an enabling environment not only for incubating innovative startups but also for fostering the region's economic growth. Results showed the indubitably significant role of those incubators in transforming the outputs of scientific research and innovations into a viable, economically feasible, and technologically competitive business that supports the development of Egypt's knowledge-based economy.